Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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10-31-20 | LSU -2.5 v. Auburn | Top | 11-48 | Loss | -118 | 101 h 34 m | Show |
This is a 10* on LSU LSU is still being penalized for its two early season losses. The defensive showings vs. Mississippi State and Missouri were definitely both bad, but let’s not forget the extenuating circumstances of that game vs. Mizzou, which was moved from Baton Rouge to Columbia because of the hurricane. Even without starting QB Myles Brennan, the Tigers looked great last week in demolishing South Carolina 52-24. That performance was closer to what you should expect from the Tigers as opposed to those two losses. LSU definitely can score no matter who the QB is. Freshman TJ Finley looked great last week, so if he’s called on again, we expect him to answer the bell. The Tigers are averaging 42.0 points/game and have scored at least 41 each of the last three games. Auburn has not been impressive so far as they are lucky to even be 3-2. They could have easily lost games vs. Arkansas and Ole Miss and have been outgained on the season. QB Bo Nix is inconsistent and will be facing a defense that has already forced 10 turnovers in four games. Auburn has zero turnovers in its three wins, but we are expecting them to give it away multiple times here. Play on LSU AAA |
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10-31-20 | Rice v. Southern Miss UNDER 58.5 | Top | 30-6 | Win | 100 | 100 h 58 m | Show |
This is a 9* on UNDER Southern Miss is now on to its THIRD head coach of the season, which should tell you all you need to know about the season they are having. The Golden Eagles are now 1-4 and the 56 points allowed to Liberty last week wasn’t even a season-worst. (They allowed 66 to Tulane). Rice is 0-1 after its now famous “quadruple doink” (missed FG) against Middle Tennessee last week. They lost 40-34 in overtime. But despite that score and how many points Southern Miss has been allowing, we think this game stays Under. For Rice, last week was the most total points in any game since 2017. Their defense was actually quite good in 2019 as it yielded an average of just 24 PPG in conference play. Some key absences in the secondary last week led to a worse than expected performance on third down. They should do better this week against a Southern Miss team that is in tatters. While Southern Miss has given up at least 31 points in every game, we’re not sure Rice gets there this week. The Under is 7-3 for Rice the week following an ATS loss. Southern Miss is actually favored here and the Under is 7-2 the last nine times that’s been the case at home. Play on UNDER AAA |
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10-31-20 | Coastal Carolina -2.5 v. Georgia State | Top | 51-0 | Win | 100 | 97 h 55 m | Show |
This is an 8* on CC #20 Coastal Carolina stayed unbeaten last week with a 28-14 win over Georgia Southern. The defense certainly did its job in shutting the Eagles out in the second half while holding them to just 218 total yards for the game. The Chanticleers won despite not having QB Grayson McCall. You’ll want to note that his backup, Fred Payton, threw three touchdown passes last week. That’s really not too surprising as Payton has started 10 games over the previous two seasons. Coach Jamey Chadwell is “cautiously optimistic” that McCall will return this week, but either way we’re in on the Chanticleers to get the victory over Georgia State. The Panthers have lost 7 of 10 to teams with winning records and already have suffered close losses to Louisiana and Arkansas State this season. They were also outgained 447-379 by Troy last week in a 36-34 win. The defense has given up nearly 1,000 passing yards its last two games! The offense is missing a starting receiver. Georgia State has never beaten a ranked team before while CC has won 5 of its last 6 games where the line is three points or less. Play on COASTAL CAROLINA AAA |
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10-31-20 | Temple +4.5 v. Tulane | Top | 3-38 | Loss | -110 | 97 h 54 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TEMPLE Tulane is just 2-4 thus far so we don’t think they are a very strong candidate to be laying points right now. They have blown big leads in two of those losses, to Navy and Houston, but also had a big rally of their own to defeat South Alabama. Half of their games have been decided by a field goal. They’ve also lost three in a row, two of those coming by at least 17 points. The defense is giving up a lot of points, 35.3 per game to be exact, so Temple should be able to score enough to stay within the number this week. Now the Owls could easily be 0-3 if not for their own rally vs. South Florida. But they only lost by two at Navy and then were more competitive than the scoreboard showed vs. Memphis last week. They had the yardage edge and more first downs. They actually gained 500 yards for the game. The problem was they turned the ball over four times. We mentioned the Tulane defense is giving up a lot of points. Well, they are also giving up lots of yards. Over the last three games, they’ve allowed 1,746 total yards! They gave up 689 to UCF last week. This is a game where you’ll want to take the points. Play on TEMPLE AAA |
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10-31-20 | Purdue -6.5 v. Illinois | Top | 31-24 | Win | 100 | 97 h 54 m | Show |
This is an 8* on PURDUE Purdue opened its season with a bit of an upset. They beat Iowa 24-20 as a 3.5-point home dog, scoring a late TD to get the win. Consider that they were without their best player (WR Rondale Moore) and head coach Jeff Brohm due to COVID-19. While it remains unclear if Moore is going to be back this week, Brohm is planning on being back on the sidelines. The Boilermakers certainly have enough pieces to dominate lowly Illinois, who lost 45-7 to Wisconsin last week. The only Illini touchdown came from the defense and now they go up against a team that allowed just three points in the second half last week. This is also a revenge game for Purdue as they shockingly lost to Illinois, 24-6, last season. They haven’t beaten the Boilermakers back to back years since 2001-02. Not only was the offense non-existent for the Illini last week, the defense was also bad. They forced just one incompletion on 21 attempts! Play on PURDUE AAA |
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10-30-20 | Hawaii -1.5 v. Wyoming | Top | 7-31 | Loss | -109 | 83 h 41 m | Show |
This is an 8* on HAWAII It feels good to have LATE night action during the week, thanks to the Mountain West getting its season underway. Hawaii will be looking to start 2-0 while Wyoming is hoping to avoid 0-2. Hawaii won 34-19 last week over Fresno State, really running over the Bulldogs defense. Not only did they run for over six yards per carry, but the Warriors finished the game with 323 yards rushing and 552 yards total! Stopping the run wasn’t an issue for the Wyoming defense last week, but it did allow 420 yards passing as it fell 37-34 in overtime at Nevada, a game they closed as 2.5-point favorites. It is important to note that the Cowboys only lead in that game came in overtime when they kicked a field goal after the first possession. They quickly gave up the game-winning touchdown not long after. At one point, Wyoming was down as much as 22 points. But the big news coming out of the game was the leg injury to QB Sean Chambers that probably will cause him to miss the rest of the season. Remember that Hawaii won 10 games last year and appeared in the Conference Title Game. Todd Graham takes over for Nick Rolovich (who went to Washington State) and should do well here. We know they came back last week, but losing Chambers is a huge blow to Wyoming’s season. Play on HAWAII AAA |
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10-29-20 | Colorado State -1.5 v. Fresno State | Top | 17-38 | Loss | -109 | 59 h 56 m | Show |
This is a 10* on Colo State So Colorado State did not play last week. Fresno State did. The reason for that discrepancy is that CSU’s game at New Mexico was waved off due to COVID. Fresno State probably wishes it had not played as they were a 34-19 loser to Hawaii. The Bulldogs actually took an early 7-0 lead in the game, scoring soon after a Hawaii turnover. But it was their own turnovers (four of them) that proved costly. Plus the defense was terrible, giving up 552 yards, 323 of which came on the ground. Both these Mountain West teams are breaking in first year coaches. Kalen DeBoer is already 0-1 for FSU, Steve Addazio is now looking to avoid the same start in Fort Collins. The Rams won this game last year, 41-31, despite being a 13.5-point underdog. That was right here in Fresno. CSU has now beaten Fresno State three years in a row, scoring 34 or more points every time. The Rams have covered five in a row as favorites, which they are here thanks to a line move. They are also 8-2 ATS L10 Thursday games. Play on COLORADO STATE AAA |
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10-24-20 | Georgia State v. Troy -2.5 | Top | 36-34 | Loss | -110 | 102 h 4 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TROY Troy is 3-1 with the three wins all coming against bad teams and the loss being to BYU. They shouldn’t have much trouble defeating a Georgia State team that is simply not very good on the road. The Panthers, now 1-2, gave up 59 points in a loss at Arkansas State last Thursday. It was their second “close” conference loss (also lost 34-31 to Louisiana in OT) but the bottom line is they are now just 2-11 SU L13 road games. We faded them at Arkansas State, noting GSU was listed as a home underdog against East Carolina several weeks ago. Though they did win that game 49-29, it says a lot when you’re an underdog at home to East Carolina. As mentioned at the outset of the analysis, Troy has handled its business as a favorite this year, winning all three times in that role. While they only beat Eastern Kentucky by two, the other two wins were by 33 and 20 points. Georgia State’s defense is allowing over 40 PPG so far and the team/coaching staff has been impacted by COVID-19. Can’t see them winning here. Play on TROY AAA |
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10-24-20 | Virginia Tech -9 v. Wake Forest | Top | 16-23 | Loss | -110 | 102 h 34 m | Show |
This is a 10* on VA TECH Virginia Tech is 3-1 and coming off an impressive 40-14 win over Boston College last Saturday night. The Hokies have scored 38 or more in every game this season. They now face a Wake Forest team that’s won two in a row after an 0-2 start. The Demon Deacons have put up 40 or more in three straight games themselves, but were also the clear beneficiaries of a +3 turnover margin in last week’s 40-23 upset of Virginia. The WF defense is going to have all sorts of problems stopping the run this weekend. They gave up 270 yards rushing to NC State and 218 more to Virginia. Led by Kansas transfer Khalil Herbert, Va Tech has run for at least 260 yards in every game. Wake has covered just once in its last six tries as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points. They are also just 2-4 ATS coming off back to back wins. The only time that the Demon Deacons have beaten Va Tech in the last five meetings was an ugly 6-3 win back in 2014. The Hokies won 38-17 last season in Blacksburg and not enough has changed on the WF side to convince us this one will go much better. Lay the points! Play on VIRGINIA TECH AAA |
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10-24-20 | Florida Atlantic v. Marshall -16 | Top | 9-20 | Loss | -110 | 101 h 41 m | Show |
This is a 9* on MARSHALL Marshall, along with Arkansas, is one of two 4-0 ATS teams in the country. The Thundering Herd are also 4-0 straight up though and winning in convincing fashion. They’ve posted four double digit victories, the most recent being 35-17 over Louisiana Tech last weekend, while outgaining the opposition by an average of nearly 156 yards/game. We still don’t know a ton about this week’s opponent, Florida Atlantic, who has played just one game thus far. That one game was an uninspiring 21-17 win over Charlotte, which was at home and saw FAU get outgained by almost 100 yards. Marshall is 6-1 all-time vs. FAU with a 36-31 win last year in Boca Raton. The Herd come in averaging 37.3 points per contest and 213.8 yards rushing per game. The one game that FAU played was three weeks ago, so simple stuff like tackling on defense could be an issue for them. The Owls were actually down 21-7 at home in that game vs. Charlotte. Marshall is ranked and a pretty strong team at home. The defense allowed just 7 yards rushing last week and has given up only 38 points on the year! FAU is nowhere near as good as they were last year under Lane Kiffin. Play on MARSHALL AAA |
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10-24-20 | Auburn -3 v. Ole Miss | Top | 35-28 | Win | 100 | 98 h 5 m | Show |
This is an 8* on AUBURN Two SEC teams coming off misleading (and probably undeserved) losses last week meet here in Oxford. Auburn lost 30-23 to South Carolina last week, despite leading the whole first half and outgaining the Gamecocks 481-297 for the game. That loss dropped the Tigers to 2-2 and they’d be 1-3 if not for a lucky break against Arkansas. Speaking of Arkansas, Ole Miss’ result from last Saturday was even more misleading as they lost 33-21 to the Razorbacks despite having the edge in total yards. The Rebels turned it over SEVEN times, which was their undoing. In this battle of desperate teams, we like the visitors to walk away with the victory as Ole Miss is ranked last in the country in scoring defense, giving up 47 points/game. Auburn’s run game has gone for 259 and 209 yards the last two weeks behind back Tank Bigsby. That’s how we think they’ll control this one. Can’t see Gus Mahlzan’s team losing two in a row as favorites. Off an SEC loss, Auburn is 8-1 SU the last three seasons. They are also 33-11 all-time vs. Mississippi and won four straight years. Play on AUBURN AAA |
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10-24-20 | NC State +17.5 v. North Carolina | Top | 21-48 | Loss | -117 | 98 h 5 m | Show |
This is an 8* on NC STATE The “Mack Brown express” ran into a brick wall last weekend, losing 31-28 to 1-win Florida State as a 2 TD road favorite. North Carolina came into that game ranked #5 in the country, but obviously tumbled down the polls by losing to a team that had yet to beat a FBS opponent this season. The Tar Heels return home to Chapel Hill this week, to face in-state rival NC State, who will be without their QB Devin Leary. Because Leary is out, this line has been steamed up to the point the Wolfpack are now a solid value plus the points. While it’s never good to be without your starting QB, NC State has an experienced backup in Bailey Hockman. The North Carolina defense has been gashed the last two weeks, first giving up 45 to Virginia Tech, then 31 in the first half to Florida State. NC State is 4-1 and off three consecutive victories, two of them coming as underdogs. They aren’t going to roll over without Leary. Take away the Virginia Tech game and North Carolina is averaging only 28.3 points in its other three contests this year. We don’t think they can score enough to cover the large spread this week. Play on NC STATE AAA |
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10-23-20 | UL-Lafayette v. UAB -1.5 | Top | 24-20 | Loss | -110 | 82 h 6 m | Show |
This is a 10* on UAB This is a rare non-conference showdown this season, pitting top teams from the Sun Belt and Conference USA. Louisiana came in with a lot of hype this year after winning 11 games in 2019. They opened 2020 with an upset of Iowa State, but haven’t looked impressive since then. They’ve now been outgained in 3 of 4 games, including the win over Iowa State, and are off a loss - 30-27 to Coastal Carolina - where they were nine-point home favorites. Proud to report we were on the dog in that one as we told you that Louisiana’s two prior wins had been by 2 points and 3 in overtime. They trailed for most of those games (against Georgia State and Georgia Southern). Now the Cajuns must deal with a UAB squad that is 4-1, the only loss coming to Miami FL. The Blazers also played for their conference championship last season and have won three straight in fairly impressive fashion. They beat Western Kentucky 37-14 on Saturday for their 21st consecutive win at home. As you can see, this game takes place in Birmingham. The big problem for Louisiana so far is that they are giving up almost 200 yards/game on the ground. That’s a problem vs. UAB, who averages 175 rush yards/game and is 19th in the country in yards/carry. The UAB defense has allowed an average of just 12.3 points the L3 weeks. Play on UAB AAA |
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10-22-20 | Arkansas State v. Appalachian State -10.5 | Top | 17-45 | Win | 100 | 58 h 36 m | Show |
This is a 10* on APP STATE Appalachian State finally gets to return to the field after a several week hiatus. The last time the Mountaineers played a game was September 22nd vs. Campbell, which was a 52-21 win. They host SunBelt foe Arkansas State on Thursday night. The Red Wolves were a winner for us last Thursday, outlasting Georgia State in a wild 59-52 affair, which was their second straight game scoring 50 or more. But they can expect far more resistance in this one, facing a Mountaineers defense that is giving up just 19.3 points/game so far. The most points allowed by App State through three games is 21. Perhaps it’s because they are 0-3 ATS, but this line clearly opened too low. As good as the Arkansas State passing attack has been this year, they couldn’t run the ball against Georgia State (just 1.5 yards/carry) and the defense was atrocious. The defensive coordinator and another coach were both let go with the Red Wolves allowing 481.8 yards/game (worst in the Sun Belt) and 39.8 points/game (2nd worst). App State should be able to run the ball at will in this game as they come in as the number five rushing team in the country at 269.3 yards/game. Play on APPALACHIAN STATE AAA |
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10-17-20 | Georgia v. Alabama -6 | Top | 24-41 | Win | 100 | 101 h 1 m | Show |
This is a 9* on ALABAMA Alabama may not have a good recent history as a home favorite of 7 points or less (0-4-1 ATS with four outright losses), but what the Crimson Tide do have here is some serious motivation, coming off last week’s lackadaisical defensive effort vs. Ole Miss. The Tide gave up 48 points and more than 600 yards in one of the worst efforts of the Saban era. With Saban himself testing positive for COVID-19, everyone seems to be counting out Bama this week against Georgia, but not us. The Tide looked just fine to us the first two games, so we’ll call last week a bad matchup. Saban has even suggested Lane Kiffin (former assistant) may have known Bama’s defensive signals. Georgia’s offense is struggling to run the ball, averaging only 3.8 yards/carry. Alabama QB Mac Jones is completing almost 80% of his passes. Saban’s absence from the sidelines would loom large Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, but the home team will still find a way to win … and cover. Play on ALABAMA AAA |
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10-17-20 | Boston College +12 v. Virginia Tech | Top | 14-40 | Loss | -110 | 101 h 51 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BOSTON COLLEGE Just how LETHAL has Boston College been as an underdog? Well, they are already 3-0 ATS this season when taking points. That includes outright wins over Duke when they were +6 (won 26-6) and last week against Pitt when they were +6.5 (won 31-30 in OT). The only non-cover for BC this season was in an uninspiring non-conference game vs. Texas State, which they won 24-21. Going back several seasons, the Eagles are now 20-5-1 ATS their L26 ACC games. As an underdog, that record jumps to 17-2-1 ATS and they’ve won 11 times outright! That can’t be music to the ears of Virginia Tech, who just gave up 56 points last week at North Carolina and is 1-6 ATS the last seven times it has been installed as a double digit favorite. Keep in mind that BC held North Carolina to only 26 points and almost beat them earlier this month. While it’s true Virginia Tech is now healthier at QB and can run the ball, this BC defense hasn’t given up more than 26 points in regulation all year. That BC is 3-0 ATS as a dog despite no real running game of their own is impressive. They are now a passing offense with Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec averaging nearly 300 yards/game. Play on BOSTON COLLEGE AAA |
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10-17-20 | Virginia -3 v. Wake Forest | Top | 23-40 | Loss | -105 | 97 h 51 m | Show |
This is an 8* on VIRGINIA Virginia played a really sloppy game last week against NC State, which is why they lost 38-21 as a seven-point home favorite. But please do not make the mistake of judging that game by its final score. The Cavaliers outgained the Wolfpack 405-363. So how did they lose by 17, you ask? Turnovers. There were four of them by UVA (only 1 by NC State). All were costly, especially a late pick-six that broke the game open. Turning it over on downs in the 4Q led to another late NC State TD. This week the Cavaliers are at Wake Forest, who is off a bye, but also is 0-2 vs. the ACC. The Demon Deacons got predictably blown out by Clemson then lost 45-42 at NC State. Their only win was against FCS Campbell. So both teams losses were to the same two teams (with both covering vs. Clemson), the only difference is Virginia actually beat an ACC team (Duke) rather than a FCS one. We know there are some question marks at QB for the Cavaliers (Brennan Armstrong got knocked out of last week’s game with a concussion, another bad break), but backup Lindell Stone looked good enough (save for the pick-six). No matter who is the QB, look for the road team to win Saturday afternoon. Wake Forest’s defense is the worst in the ACC on third down (52.4% conversion rate) while Virginia’s defense is great at stopping the run (allows only 3.4 yds/carry). Play on VIRGINIA AAA |
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10-17-20 | South Florida +11 v. Temple | Top | 37-39 | Win | 100 | 93 h 54 m | Show |
This is an 8* on USF Last week, we told you to fade Temple in its very first game of the season. The Owls lost, 31-29, to a Navy team that had really been struggling this season. While a late 2-pt try could have tied it, Temple never led in the contest, though it did outgain the Midshipmen. Still, that “moral victory” will be of no use here as the Owls are being asked to lay double digits, something they are clearly not ready to do at this juncture of the season. South Florida has been bad, losing three straight by 20 or more points. But two of those were against really good teams (Notre Dame, Cincinnati). We don’t know what to say about last week’s 44-24 home loss to East Carolina. The Bulls secondary actually held up against both ranked opponents and is allowing only 6.6 yards per attempt this year. Including an ATS win at Cincinnati, USF is 5-1 ATS off its previous six ATS defeats, so they tend to bounce back from disappointing efforts. This is enough points for us to feel comfortable in selecting a pretty desperate underdog. Play on USF AAA |
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10-17-20 | Clemson -26.5 v. Georgia Tech | Top | 73-7 | Win | 100 | 28 h 27 m | Show |
This is an 8* on CLEMSON While Clemson had been winning comfortably, they were 0-3 ATS heading into last week’s heavily hyped showdown with Miami. On Saturday night, the Tigers reminded us all why they are considered one of the elite CFB programs in this country. They blew the doors off the Hurricanes, winning 42-17, and easily covered the 14-point spread. Even after a high profile win such as that, Clemson shouldn’t have much trouble covering this larger spread this week at Georgia Tech. Not only are the Yellow Jackets 0-5 ATS their L5 vs. ranked opponents, they have failed to cover all four times in program history when they’ve been an underdog of at least 27 points. Clemson is 16-5 ATS L21 ACC games and 18-7 ATS its last 25 times as a double digit favorite. The last two years, they’ve beaten Georgia Tech 49-21 and 52-14. The Yellow Jackets defense has been really bad this season, even giving up 37 to Syracuse. Last Friday’s 46-27 win over Louisville was a completely misleading final score. The Jackets were actually outgained (gave up 471 yards) but got lucky with a +3 turnover differential. Clemson won’t be so generous here. Play on CLEMSON AAA |
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10-16-20 | BYU v. Houston OVER 62.5 | Top | 43-26 | Win | 100 | 79 h 34 m | Show |
This is a 10* on OVER While it would be accurate to say both BYU and Houston come into this Friday night matchup “undefeated,” it’s also a tad bit misleading. BYU is 4-0, but Houston is only 1-0 after finally opening its season last Thursday. Still this should be a pretty exciting game. After rolling through its first three games (Navy, Troy, La Tech) by a combined score of 148-24, Brigham Young was finally tested last week and it was by perhaps the unlikeliest of opponents. UTSA, a 34-point underdog, hung close in what was a 27-20 final. That said, BYU did move the ball a lot in that game, gaining 476 yards. But they had issues finishing drives. They fumbled inside the red zone on the opening possession, then turned it over on downs (in UTSA territory) on the second. Don’t worry about a Cougars offense that is averaging 7.8 yards per play thus far. Nor should you worry about a Houston offense that put up 49 points last week despite its own early troubles. QB Clayton Tune had two 1st quarter turnovers (INT, fumble) that were returned for Tulane touchdown, but recovered to throw for over 300 yards. The BYU defense just allowed a season-worst 287 pass yards against UTSA and Tune should easily eclipse that mark. Look for a lot of fireworks in this one. Play on OVER AAA |
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10-15-20 | Georgia State v. Arkansas State -3.5 | Top | 52-59 | Win | 100 | 53 h 51 m | Show |
This is an 8* on ARKANSAS STATE Arkansas State (2-2) holds a win over Kansas State, which is looking more and more impressive as time wears on. (Kansas State has since gone 3-0 with a win over Oklahoma). The Red Wolves did get their doors blown off at Coastal Carolina, but finally got a home game last Saturday and in it defeated Central Arkansas 50-27. While that’s a FCS team, the Red Wolves have obviously proven they can beat a good team. They are 3-0 ATS besides the games vs. Coastal Carolina, who may be a better team that most realize. As for Georgia State, we know they almost upset Sun Belt standard bearer Louisiana. But they lost that game in overtime. That was almost a month ago. The Panthers’ lone other contest took place 12 days ago and they had little problem beating East Carolina 49-29. That they were 17-point underdogs to Louisiana and a slight underdog at home to ECU should tell you what the market thinks of them. Now COVID-19 played a role in those lines, but we think they are getting a bit too much respect Thursday in Jonesboro. GSU is just 2-10-2 ATS its L14 road games. They won’t win here. Play on ARKANSAS STATE AAA |
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10-14-20 | Coastal Carolina +7.5 v. UL-Lafayette | Top | 30-27 | Win | 100 | 30 h 4 m | Show |
This is a 10* on Coastal Carolina Louisiana won 11 games last year and is currently unbeaten and ranked #21 in the country. They defeated nationally ranked Iowa State in their season opener. But the resume for this Ragin Cajun team isn’t as rosy as you might think. They have been outgained in two of their three games, including the upset of Iowa State, and their last two wins have been by 2 points and 3 in overtime. They did not come close to covering the 17-point spread vs. Georgia State nor the 12-point spread vs. Georgia Southern, even trailing outright for a considerable portion of those two games. In comes Sun Belt rival Coastal Carolina, who is also 3-0 on the road. The Chanticleers have also beaten a Big 12 team this year (Kansas) and scored 95 points in the two wins since. They’ve had excellent line play on both sides of the football. Throw in the fact this game has had to be moved twice and you’ve got all the makings of an upset Wednesday night on ESPN2. Coastal Carolina has covered each of the last four tries as a road underdog while Louisiana is 0-4 ATS the L4 times it has been a favorite. Play on Coastal Carolina AAA |
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10-10-20 | Temple v. Navy +3.5 | Top | 29-31 | Win | 100 | 81 h 3 m | Show |
This is a 10* on NAVY Navy is not having a good start to the season. The Midshipmen are 1-2 and the two losses have been by 52 and 33 points. In their only win, 27-24 over Tulane, they trailed 24-0 at the half. They were actually FAVORED by 6.5 points last week when they lost to Air Force 40-7. But we are not ready to declare this a “sinking ship” just yet. This week the Middies welcome Temple to Annapolis. The Owls have yet to play a game in 2020, so we don’t know a ton about them. What we do know is that this game was originally set to take place on 9/26, but Temple coach Rod Carey said his team “needed more time to prepare.” That was awfully nice of Navy to give Temple an extra two week. Something else that needs to be pointed out is that the Midshipmen played last week’s game without their starting QB Dalen Morris. He is slated to return for this game. With all four of its non-conference games cancelled, Temple is just too big of a question mark to lay points on the road. Coach Ken Niumatalolo will have Navy ready to play here. Play on NAVY AAA |
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10-10-20 | Virginia Tech v. North Carolina UNDER 60.5 | Top | 45-56 | Loss | -116 | 75 h 4 m | Show |
This is a 9* on UNDER The ACC will be front and center on Saturday as four of its five ranked teams will square off in a pair of marquee matchups. While Va Tech-North Carolina may not get the same amount of press as Miami-Clemson, the former figures to be a tight game and we think it’ll be a little lower scoring than expected as well. North Carolina’s first two games have both stayed Under. The key here will be their run defense, which is ranked #1 in the country, stopping Hokies running back Khalil Herbert. Herbert, a transfer from Kansas, had 212 yards rushing and a school-record 358 all-purpose yards in last week’s 38-31 win over Duke. That’s more than double the number of rush yards this Tar Heels defense has allowed in two games. UNC allowed just 22 total points to Syracuse and Boston College. While Virginia Tech is better than either of those teams, their offense can certainly be one-dimensional. The QB situation is unsettled and they completed only nine passes vs. the Duke defense. The Hokies won’t be scoring anywhere close to the number of points we saw from them in the first two games nor will this one be anything like last year’s 6OT marathon with the Tar Heels, which Va Tech won 43-41. An interesting note about the game, which was the longest in ACC history: it was just 29-29 at the end of regulation. The Under is 8-3 the L11 times the Hokies have been a road underdog. Play on UNDER AAA |
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10-10-20 | Florida -6.5 v. Texas A&M | Top | 38-41 | Loss | -110 | 75 h 4 m | Show |
This is an 8* on FLORIDA Things aren’t looking too rosy for Texas A&M right now after an unimpressive win over Vanderbilt and a blowout loss to Alabama. Still ranked (for now), Jimbo Fisher’s Aggies must now face Florida, another top five team that is scoring in bunches. The Gators have put up 89 points in two wins, both of which were by double digits. They won at Ole Miss 51-35 with 642 yards offense, then took care of South Carolina 38-24. While that second game ended up being pretty even in terms of total yards, Florida was ahead 38-14 late in the 3rd quarter and clearly took its foot off the gas. South Carolina was pretty lucky to go 11 for 23 on third/fourth down, something we don’t see the Aggies replicating. Even more so than giving up a 31-3 run to Alabama, A&M’s poor showing vs. Vandy casts a real “shadow of doubt” over the team’s preseason ranking. They have not done well in the past at home vs. top five opponents, losing all five such matchups since 2000. Florida has won all seven times they’ve been a road favorite under Mullen with the tightest margin of victory being eight points. This is a “friendly” line for the favorite too! Play on FLORIDA AAA |
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10-09-20 | Louisville -4 v. Georgia Tech | Top | 27-46 | Loss | -110 | 58 h 5 m | Show |
This is a 10* on LOUISVILLE For the second straight day in College Football, we’re a bit perplexed by a line move. It was only three weeks ago that Louisville was ranked 18th in the country. Now they are laying a very small number to a Georgia Tech team that simply isn’t very good. Yes, the Cardinals have dropped two straight. But those losses came to Miami and Pittsburgh, both of whom were top 25 teams at the time (Miami is now in the Top 10). Georgia Tech is probably the worst team in the entire ACC and also coming off two straight losses. Their losses were more severe though as they were beaten 49-21 by UCF and 37-20 by Syracuse. The Yellow Jackets lone win was by three points over struggling Florida State, a game that featured a long weather delay. The Jackets’ defense is probably in a lot of trouble Friday night. They gave up 37 to a Syracuse team that had previously scored just 16 pts in two games. Louisville comes in averaging over 400 yards/game behind QB Malik Cunningham. Ga Tech is 0-5 SU/ATS L5 as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points. Play on LOUISVILLE AAA |
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10-08-20 | Tulane +7 v. Houston | Top | 31-49 | Loss | -118 | 35 h 35 m | Show |
This is a 10* on TULANE The line move earlier in the week is something we found to be rather curious. Houston has yet to even play a game! They’ve obviously tried. But five games have had to be cancelled or rescheduled due to COVID-19. That’s insane. This is a team coming off its worst season in 15 years as they went 4-8 SU in 2019. Injuries really took their toll on the Cougars last year. Coach Dana Holgorsen is bringing in a TON of transfers (33!) this year, but also lost QB D’Eriq King to Miami via the transfer portal and it can’t be understated how significant that is. Tulane has already played three games this season and would be 3-0 if not for a stunning 2nd half collapse at home vs. Navy. Two weeks ago, the Green Wave put up 66 points in a total beatdown of Southern Miss, which was the second road win of the season. Their defense has also been pretty good as it ranks third among AAC teams in total yards per game allowed (368.3). Houston’s defense gave up 35.5 points/game vs. FBS foes last season including 38 in a last second loss at Tulane. Not only do we think the underdog will cover the spread here, there’s a very good chance they take the game outright. Play on TULANE AAA |
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10-03-20 | Auburn +7 v. Georgia | Top | 6-27 | Loss | -120 | 76 h 28 m | Show |
This is an 8* on AUBURN It didn’t take long for the SEC to produce its first top 10 showdown of 2020. It’ll go down this Saturday in Athens where #4 Georgia hosts #7 Auburn. The visiting Tigers have already beaten one Top 25 foe, that being Kentucky, in the opener last week. It was an impressive win too, 29-13, and it could have been even more lopsided had a 100-yard INT return not been called back on a questionable penalty. Georgia’s win last week wasn’t nearly as impressive, although the final score was 37-10. That was against Arkansas, who is certainly the worst team in the SEC West and probably the worst team in the whole league. The Bulldogs couldn’t run the ball against the Hogs, averaging only 2.9 yards per carry, and they have some real uncertainty at the QB position right now. The Dawgs trailed at halftime last week and didn’t take the lead for good until there were only six minutes left in the third quarter. So it was a bit of a misleading final score. It was a defensive score, late in the third, that really broke the game wide-open. Auburn hasn’t had much luck against Georgia in recent years, but three of the last five losses have been by just a touchdown. We like what we saw from QB Bo Nix last week and think this is the Tigers time to break through. Play on AUBURN AAA |
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10-03-20 | Oklahoma -7 v. Iowa State | Top | 30-37 | Loss | -105 | 76 h 58 m | Show |
This is an 8* on OKLA Oklahoma was shocked last week at home, blowing a three touchdown advantage and losing 38-35 to Kansas State. (We discussed this in the Kansas State writeup as well). That’s not what the Sooners were expecting in the Big 12 opener and now they’ll try and even their conference record up at 1-1 when they visit Ames Saturday night. Iowa State has also been at home this year. They lost their season opener 31-14 to Louisiana. Really, the Cyclones are lucky not to be 0-2 entering this game. They were outgained 499-423 last week by TCU, but did manage to hold on for the 37-34 victory. Under Matt Campbell, ISU has been more competitive vs. Oklahoma, but a 2017 upset in Norman remains the Cyclones lone victory in the last 21 tries. They’ve lost to them 24 straight times here in Ames. Oklahoma typically bounces back from a loss as they have not dropped two straight in the regular season since 1999. Last week was their first loss in September under Lincoln Riley. Unfortunately, this makes the second year in a row Iowa State has to face OU off a loss. Last year’s game was close (42-41) but having dropped to #18 in the rankings, the Sooners are out for blood here. Lay the short number. Play on OKLAHOMA AAA |
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10-03-20 | Ole Miss v. Kentucky -5.5 | Top | 42-41 | Loss | -113 | 72 h 18 m | Show |
This is an 8* on KENTUCKY Kentucky came up short against Auburn last week, losing 29-13. The game really swung on an interception near the end of the first half. Down 8-7 (yes, that was the score), UK had driven the ball 64 yards down to the Auburn 1 yard line. It was then QB Terry Wilson made a terrible decision and threw an interception that was returned the length of the field for a TD. The ‘pick-six’ was actually called back, but the INT was a mistake that the Wildcats never recovered from. They lost the turnover battle 3-0 and the game 29-13. Still that was a very good team they were up against on the road. A home game vs. Ole Miss should go a whole lot better. Ole Miss also lost to a top 10 team last week, 51-35 vs. Florida, though it was at home. Losing his debut wasn’t what Lane Kiffin wanted, but he was a heavy underdog. Still that underdog status doesn’t justify giving up over 600 yards, even though the Rebels gained 600+ themselves. It’s a much shorter line this week and that means trouble for Ole Miss as they’ve lost 13 straight times as a dog (just 4-9 ATS). They are also 3-6 SU, 1-8 ATS L9 road games. Lay the points with UK, who was ranked themselves last week and remains a good team. Play on KENTUCKY AAA |
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10-03-20 | Texas Tech v. Kansas State OVER 64 | Top | 21-31 | Loss | -105 | 72 h 49 m | Show |
This is a 8* on OVER Kansas State and Texas Tech had different results last Saturday, but both games were certainly high scoring. Kansas State pulled off what is - to this point - the upset of the season in College Football with a 38-35 stunner over Oklahoma. It wasn’t just that the Wildcats won as a four-touchdown underdog, but how. They came back from a 21-point second half deficit in Norman! Later in the day, Texas Tech happened to blow a late double digit lead against Texas and lost in overtime 63-56. That they lost was no matter to us. We had the Red Raiders plus the points and they easily covered. In fact, at no point during the game were they NOT covering. Facing each other this week, Kansas State and Texas Tech may have trouble duplicating the excitement of last week’s contests, but this should certainly be another high scoring one. Remember that not only did TT give up 63 points last week, they also permitted Houston Baptist to gain 600 yards in the season opener. Kansas State has given up 35 points in both of their games. We see both teams scoring 30+ again this week and that makes for an easy Over. The Over is 9-2-1 in the last 12 meetings. Play on OVER AAA |
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10-03-20 | Baylor -2.5 v. West Virginia | Top | 21-27 | Loss | -108 | 69 h 49 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BAYLOR Baylor FINALLY got to open its season last week and for first year coach Dave Aranda, the former defensive coordinator at LSU, it was worth the wait. The Bears made it look easy, beating Kansas 47-14 as a 17-point favorite. Now Aranda probably knows Kansas is as easy an opponent as you’ll find in the Big XII. But last week’s win definitely showed us this Bears team may be better than expected. Last year they were 11-3 in Waco, but no one is expecting a repeat of that in 2020. Still, the Bears do have Charlie Brewer back at QB and ran for over 200 yards last week. West Virginia only wishes it could say that about their offensive performance last week vs. Oklahoma State. But in a game they were pointing to all offseason, the Mountaineers came up well short. They scored only one offensive touchdown in a very disappointing 27-13 loss. While it’s a return to Morgantown this week, home field advantage doesn’t mean in 2020 what it used to and WVU has actually lost its last FIVE Big 12 home games! You can bet Baylor smells “blood in the water” as they seek to win for the first time ever in Morgantown. Off a better than expected performance last week, we’re on the road favorite. The Bears have won five straight times as a road favorite, covering four. Play on BAYLOR AAA |
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10-02-20 | Louisiana Tech +24.5 v. BYU | Top | 14-45 | Loss | -105 | 54 h 50 m | Show |
This is a 10* on La Tech Louisiana Tech and BYU are both 2-0, but the Cougars have obviously been the more impressive of the two. That’s why they are favored by more than three touchdowns at home Friday night. However, we’re here to say that you should not go discounting the underdogs. La Tech has already gone on the road as an underdog one time and won. Granted, that was vs. Southern Miss, but a “win is a win.” Last week’s 66-38 beatdown over Houston Baptist now looks a bit more impressive in retrospect seeing as the Texas Tech team that almost upset Texas was given a run for their money by that particular FCS opponent. BYU has won 55-3 and 48-7 over Navy and Troy. But this is by far their biggest spread yet. They were only 1-pt favorites against Navy and 14.5-point favorites over Troy. Louisiana Tech isn’t a bad team by any means. They’ve won six straight bowl games and are 12-3 SU L15 games overall. Assuming they do lose for the first time in 2020, it won’t be without a fight. Do not forget BYU was 0-7 ATS as a favorite last season while La Tech is 9-3 ATS the L12 times it has been a dog. The Bulldogs are too good to be getting this kind of number. Play on LA Tech AAA |
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09-26-20 | Alabama -27 v. Missouri | Top | 38-19 | Loss | -110 | 97 h 47 m | Show |
This is an 8* on ALABAMA Alabama is a far more talented team than Missouri. But you didn’t need us to tell you that. Still, the oddsmakers are being far too conservative with this Week 1 line as the Tide are going to roll in Columbia. Mizzou has a new coach and just 69 players set to dress Saturday. This seems like a major problem when getting ready to face the #1 team in the country. Alabama, having gone a whole TWO YEARS without winning a National Championship, is likely to be very motivated this season. If there’s one coach that can have his team properly focused during a time like this, it is Nick Saban. As per usual in Tuscaloosa, there are multiple players on the roster projected to be first round draft choices by the NFL. The fact that QB Mac Jones got some playing time last year when Tua was hurt is beneficial. That Missouri’s potential starting QB decided to transfer is not! The Tigers have failed to cover in seven straight SEC games and adding ‘Bama to the schedule certainly didn’t help their cause in 2020. Play on ALABAMA AAA |
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09-26-20 | Mississippi State v. LSU -16.5 | Top | 44-34 | Loss | -110 | 93 h 18 m | Show |
This is a 10* on LSU With the loss of Joe Burrow and countless others, it seems as if a lot of people are “writing off” LSU coming into the season. We’re here to tell you that’s a mistake. One of the most successful programs in all of CFB, the defending champs should be “just fine” in 2020. The Tigers are rated #6 for a reason. They’ll have a great defense again. While 10 SEC games is tough, Mississippi State is an ideal opponent to open against. The Bulldogs have a new coach and while that coach is Mike Leach, this is a very difficult circumstance to implement a brand new offense. For years, we’ve seen a run-based offense in Starkville. Now they are switching to the “Air Raid.” MSU had ZERO spring practices so the preparation for 2020 is about as limited as it gets. Remember that Arkansas made a similar switch from a run-heavy to pass-heavy offense in 2018. They haven’t won an SEC game since! LSU is 18-2 SU vs. Miss State in the 2000’s and has won 13 of the past 14 here in Baton Rouge. The lone home loss occurred in 2014. Even worse is the fact the Bulldogs have failed to cover their last six times as a road underdog. LSU is on a 16-7 ATS run in SEC games. Play on LSU AAA |
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09-26-20 | Texas v. Texas Tech +18.5 | Top | 63-56 | Win | 100 | 93 h 16 m | Show |
This is a 10* on TEX TECH #8 Texas is likely feeling pretty good about itself heading into their Big 12 opener. Two weeks ago, the Longhorns opened the season with a 59-3 thrashing of UTEP where the majority of their starters were only on the field for 30 snaps. Here, they face a Texas Tech squad that had a much more difficult time in its opener. The Red Raiders allowed 600+ yards and had to survive a late 2-point try to beat Houston Baptist, a FCS school, 35-33. Now more than a dozen Red Raiders missed that game due to COVID. But just as Tech thought they were near full strength, their starting RB Thompson was arrested! Still though, they’ve got Alan Bowman, who threw for 400+ yards in the opener. This is a lot of points they’re getting in Lubbock and with the exception of last year (when Bowman didn’t suit up), this in-state rivalry has produced mostly close games. Four of the last five meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less. Furthermore, Texas is just 4-4 straight up in its last eight road games with none of the wins coming by greater than 11 points. Texas Tech is 7-1 ATS following a bye week. Play on TEXAS TECH AAA |
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09-25-20 | Middle Tennessee State v. UTSA -6.5 | Top | 35-37 | Loss | -125 | 13 h 38 m | Show |
This is a 10* on UTSA Middle Tennessee is off to a terrible start to the year, losing 42-0 to Army and 47-14 to Troy. We don’t think you can make this line high enough. UTSA is 2-0, having followed up a 51-48 thriller at Texas State with last week’s 24-10 win over Stephen F Austin. Not only has MTSU turned the ball over seven times, they have an unsettled QB situation and the offense is averaging just 212.5 yards/game. They have found themselves in the red zone just two times in two games! UTSA is averaging more than double the yardage of the Blue Raiders, at nearly 500 yards/game and they’ve gone 11 for 11 on red zone opportunities. This is a “makeshift” game that wasn’t even scheduled as of a week ago. UTSA’s originally scheduled opponent (Memphis) had to “pull out” due to COVID concerns. While that makes this a VERY unusual situation to handicap, we think it clearly favors the team in better form. The idea that Middle Tennessee can correct all of its issues in a short week, against an opponent they weren’t supposed to be facing, seems highly unlikely. The Roadrunners are 6-2 ATS their L8 games. Play on UTSA AAA |
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09-24-20 | UAB v. South Alabama +7 | Top | 42-10 | Loss | -110 | 51 h 24 m | Show |
This is a 10* on S ALABAMA This will be the second straight time UAB is playing on a Thursday night. Two weeks ago, they went down to Miami. We advised you to fade the Blazers in that spot, noting they’d beaten only ONE FBS team with a winning record all of last season. While there’s no shame in losing to the now-12th ranked team in the country, UAB was pretty much manhandled in the 31-14 defeat in Coral Gables. Their defense was run over to the tune of 337 yards. Now they travel a much shorter distance (in-state) to face a South Alabama side that has definitely turned some heads so far in 2020. The Jaguars season began with a shocking 32-21 upset of Southern Miss on the road. They were double digit underdogs for that one. Next came a close game with Tulane, which they lost 27-24, but still covered as 11.5-point underdogs. That same Tulane team was up 24-0 on Navy this past Saturday before melting down. USA was ahead the entire game until the final 3 minutes and led 24-6 midway through the third quarter. The Jaguars’ passing game, which has employed two QBs, has gone over 300 yards in both games. UAB just lost one of its two QBs (Tyler Johnston III), meaning redshirt freshman Bryson Lucero has to make his first career start on the road. This would be a really big win for South Alabama, who lost in Birmingham last season, 35-3. UAB is just 1-4 ATS its last five road games while USA has covered five straight times as a home dog. Play on SOUTH ALABAMA AAA |
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09-19-20 | Central Florida -7 v. Georgia Tech | Top | 49-21 | Win | 100 | 73 h 53 m | Show |
This is a 10* on UCF UCF has won a total of 35 games the previous three seasons and lost only four. The Golden Knights enter 2020 ranked #14 and are probably the best “Group of Five” team in the country. They open with Georgia Tech, who upset Florida State last week. Picked to finish last in the ACC, the Yellow Jackets were 13-point underdogs in Tallahassee. So it was a big surprise to start their season. It was a weird game with a 1 hr 45 min weather delay, plus the Seminoles turned the ball over three times. UCF, a more veteran team that has put up 30+ points in every game but one the L3 years, will not be as giving. The Knights are also eager to earn their first ever win in Atlanta. The program is 0-3 all-time vs. Ga Tech, but the last meeting was in 2000. The UCF program is a lot different (better!) now and ready to make a statement vs. a P5 foe. The Yellow Jackets are just 1-8 ATS their L9 home games and 0-5 ATS off their L5 straight up victories. Play on UCF AAA |
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09-19-20 | Navy +7 v. Tulane | Top | 27-24 | Win | 100 | 69 h 24 m | Show |
This is a 10* on NAVY Navy had an absolutely disastrous showing in their season opener. They lost 55-3 to BYU! It was the worst loss in 13 years under Ken Niumatalolo and the head coach took all the blame. "Boy, that game was 1000 percent my fault," Niumatalolo said. "Obviously, we weren't prepared. One team was playing football. There's nobody to blame but myself. I erred on the side of trying to keep our guys safe (from COVID). I'd say it's the worst Navy football game we ever played." With two weeks to prepare, expect a MUCH better effort from the Midshipmen against Tulane. Against BYU, Navy ran for only 149 yards -- the 2nd lowest total ever for Niumatalolo in Annapolis and 211.5 yards below last year’s nation-leading average. Tulane played last week and only won by three (27-24) at South Alabama after initially trailing 24-6 in the third quarter. Now they turn around to face a complicated offense that’s going to produce a lot more than it did in the opener. The Green Wave were outgained last week in Mobile. They are breaking in a new QB and this is a lot of points to lay for a team whose only win over Navy in the L5 years came by a single points. The Midshipmen are 10-1-1 ATS following a loss by 20 or more points. Play on NAVY AAA |
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09-12-20 | Duke v. Notre Dame -19.5 | Top | 13-27 | Loss | -109 | 67 h 13 m | Show |
This is an 8* on NOTRE DAME Notre Dame is part of the ACC for the 2020 season and comes in ranked #10 in the country. The only ACC team ranked higher is #1 Clemson. The Fighting Irish’s season begins at home in South Bend vs. Duke. This first “conference” challenge should be an easy one for Brian Kelly’s team, who won 11 games last season. Duke was just 5-7 in 2019. Though this is the first time (and probably last?) the schools will meet as “conference opponents,” they are familiar with one another. Last year, the Irish went into Durham and killed the Blue Devils 38-7 as seven-point favorites as QB Book threw four touchdown passes. Book, who finished with a 38-6 TD-INT ratio, is back to lead the Irish offense again this season. About 16,000 fans will be present Saturday afternoon in South Bend, so there is still a home field edge for a ND team that is 13-0 on this field the L2 years. Duke’s new starting QB is Chase Brice, a grad transfer from Clemson that hasn’t gotten much practice time with his new team due to the unusual summer. Center Jack Wohlabaugh just tore a knee ligament on Sept 1, complicating matters even further. Don’t hesitate to lay this number as the Fighting Irish should win big. Play on NOTRE DAME AAA |
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09-12-20 | Syracuse +23 v. North Carolina | Top | 6-31 | Loss | -104 | 65 h 44 m | Show |
This is a 10* on SYRACUSE North Carolina went 7-6 straight up last season, a vast improvement on their 2-9 SU record the year before. The improvement was due to a combination of better luck and the return of Mack Brown as head coach. Syracuse, meanwhile, finished second to last in the Atlantic Division last year with a 5-7 overall record (2-6 in ACC). The Orange had won 10 games in 2018, so it was very much the reverse trend of what we saw in Chapel Hill. The ACC is using a “division-less” format for the 2020 season and adds Notre Dame to the mix. UNC is the third highest ranked team, behind only Clemson and the Irish. Though not much is expected from Dino Babers’ crew, don’t be surprised if they give UNC a run for its money in this season opener. Two years ago, the Orange won 40-38 in a double overtime game at the Carrier Dome. There is some question over who will be carrying the ball for Syracuse as the top two running backs on the depth chart both reportedly have opted out. But North Carolina had to deal with a five-day break in practice a couple weeks ago due to COVID-19. Syracuse has covered 11 of the last 16 times it has been a road underdog of more than three touchdowns. Play on SYRACUSE AAA |
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09-12-20 | UL-Lafayette v. Iowa State -11 | Top | 31-14 | Loss | -110 | 65 h 44 m | Show |
THis is a 10* on IOWA STATE Iowa State has delivered three straight winning seasons for Matt Campbelll. This is not exactly a program accustomed to that kind of “success.” The previous four years, including Campbell’s first on the job, all saw the Cyclones win three or fewer games. But now they’ve firmly established themselves as part of the Big XII’s upper tier. They open the season with Louisiana Lafayette, who won 11 games in 2019. Of course, playing in the Sun Belt is a lot different than the Big XII. The Ragin Cajuns probably aren’t going to end up with that kind of record in 2020, although they are the most experienced team in their league and a threat to repeat as Western Division Champs. But beating Iowa State seems out of the question as the Cyclones have even better offensive talent with the returning QB Purdy (3,982 yds in ‘19) and RB Hall (averaged 100+ YPG L8 wks). They enter the year ranked #23, but we feel they are even better than that. There will be 25,000 fans present in Ames Saturday, giving ISU some semblance of “home field advantage.” We think the spread for this game “speaks volumes” as oddsmakers are saying a Louisiana team no one is taking lightly will still get beaten by double digits. We agree. Play on IOWA STATE AAA |
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09-10-20 | UAB v. Miami-FL -13.5 | Top | 14-31 | Win | 100 | 53 h 39 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MIAMI UAB and Miami are set to hook it up Thursday night in Coral Gables. This game was originally set for next Thursday, but was bumped up a week due to COVID-19 wreaking havoc on all the schedules. UAB was a 9-win team a year ago and made the C-USA Championship Game. But consider for a moment the fact the Blazers beat only ONE FBS team with a winning record. Now had they faced Miami, that number wouldn’t have changed as the Hurricanes are off a tremendously disappointing 6-7 season under Manny Diaz that ended with an embarrassing 14-0 shutout by La Tech in the Independence Bowl. This year, “The U” promises to be a whole lot better though. D’Eriq King has transferred in to play quarterback. Two years ago, when he was with Houston, King led the entire FBS with 50 touchdown passes. The defense is going to be outstanding. UAB already played a game, but it was an unimpressive 45-35 win over Central Arkansas where they turned the ball over three times. If they gave up that many points to a FCS opponent, imagine how much they’ll give up here. UAB has covered just 1 of the previous 5 times it has been a road underdog. Play on MIAMI AAA |
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09-07-20 | BYU v. Navy OVER 48.5 | Top | 55-3 | Win | 100 | 29 h 59 m | Show |
This is a 10* on OVER BYU is coming off two consecutive 7-6 seasons and this may be the most experienced (and talented) team Kalani Sitake has had yet in Provo. Last year did end with a 38-34 loss in the Hawaii Bowl (to Hawaii), however, the Cougars offense really turned it on down the stretch by scoring 31 or more points in five of the last six games. Sitake’s team opens the season all the way across the country in Annapolis against Navy. The Midshipmen won 11 games and beat Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl last year. That was a big bounce back from the 3-win season that was 2018. They averaged 37.2 points/game last season, a three year high under coach Niumatalolo. This game was not originally scheduled for 2020. While both teams have some holes to fill on offense, look for a relatively high-scoring game Monday night. We saw several teams on Saturday put up big point totals and not look adversely affected by the lack of practice time. BYU is 3-0-1 Over its last four games against American teams. Play on OVER AAA |
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09-05-20 | Arkansas State v. Memphis -18 | Top | 24-37 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 1 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MEMPHIS Memphis is a big favorite Saturday and justifiably so as they are coming off a 12-2 season last year and have won seven straight season openers. Arkansas State went 8-5 SU in 2019 and has now won at least 7 games in each of Blake Anderson’s six seasons here. But the Red Wolves are badly outclassed in this one. Their defense gave up 34.2 points/game and 6.1 yards/play last year and has just three starters back. Memphis is likely to be the best offense they see all season. Though the head coach left, the schemes and key contributors on the field largely remain the same for the Tigers. QB White leads an offense that has averaged over 40 points/game each of the previous three seasons. Memphis was 7-0 at the Liberty Bowl last season, winning most of those games by double digits. They’ve covered six of the last eight times they’ve been a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points. Play on MEMPHIS AAA |
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09-05-20 | Middle Tennessee State v. Army -3 | Top | 0-42 | Win | 100 | 6 h 22 m | Show |
This is an 8* on ARMY (Money Line) Both Middle Tennessee and Army are expected to be improved in 2020. For Middle Tennessee, the bounce back seems logical. Two years ago they were 7-1 in Conference USA and came up just 2 points shy of the Title Game. Losing QB Stockstill last season (graduation) had a real impact as they fell all the way down to 4-8 overall, ending a 7-year bowl run. It’s a similar deal for Army, who went 11-2 SU two years ago only to drop to 5-8 SU last season. These teams combined to go 1-7 straight up in one score games in 2019. Only one can win here though and we think that will be Army. This game was not originally on the schedule and preparing for the triple option is tough even when you know that it's coming. Middle Tennessee’s defense was bad last year as they were bottom 20 in the country in yards allowed. They have just three returning starters. On offense, the Blue Raiders are missing their top two running backs, both of whom opted out. Army is 5-1-1 ATS in September the last two seasons. MTSU is 2-5 ATS. Play on ARMY (money line) AAA |
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09-03-20 | South Alabama v. Southern Miss -13 | Top | 32-21 | Loss | -110 | 23 h 50 m | Show |
This is a 10* on SOUTHERN MISS So Southern Mississippi is a decided favorite over South Alabama and we can’t say that we’re surprised. South Alabama has won all of five games the previous two seasons and was 2-10 SU in 2019. Head coach Steve Campbell really needs to show improvement in year three. The only problem is he’s got just 11 starters back from a team that wasn’t good in the first place. The Jaguars enter 2020 pretty thin along both lines - offensive and defensive. Southern Miss has gone 28-22 SU in four years under Jay Hopson. QB Abraham is back leading an offense that put up 6.1 yards per play last season. The Golden Eagles have covered five of the last seven games against the Sun Belt, though this is the first-ever meeting with South Alabama. USA did not have a good offense last year. Though they showed signs late, the Jaguars still ended up averaging just 18.4 points/game. We look for Southern Miss to control in the trenches and their pass rush should get after South Alabama QB Trotter. Play on Southern Miss AAA |
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01-13-20 | Clemson v. LSU -5 | Top | 25-42 | Win | 100 | 225 h 37 m | Show |
This is a 10* on LSU It seems like forever ago that LSU put forth an unbelievable offensive display against Oklahoma, scoring 49 points in the first half on their way to an easy 63-28 win as two-touchdown favorites in the Peach Bowl. Heisman winning QB Joe Burrow threw seven touchdown passes - before halftime! Meanwhile, Clemson should feel lucky to be in New Orleans for this battle of 14-0 Tigers. They were down 16-0 to Ohio State in Fiesta Bowl, only to make a stunning rally, seemingly brought upon a targeting penalty that went against the Buckeyes. As we had the Under, the Tigers defense should be complimented for holding OSU to just 23 points, but they also gave up over 500 yards. They basically gained 100 fewer yards than the Buckeyes and virtually all of their yards gained came on the four touchdown drives. That doesn't sound like a winning formula to beat LSU. While we expect Clemson to play better, the fact this game takes place in New Orleans does them no favors as it will be a virtual home game for LSU, who is laying a shockingly low number all things considered. Play on LSU AAA |
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01-06-20 | Miami-OH +14 v. UL-Lafayette | Top | 17-27 | Win | 100 | 22 h 17 m | Show |
This is an 8* on MIAMI Its seems as if no one is really giving Miami much of a chance in Monday's Lending Tree Bowl. But the RedHawks should be pretty used to that by now. They were underdogs in the MAC Championship Game and won that outright, beating Central Michigan 26-21. Even getting to play for the MAC Championship seemed like a pipe dream when Miami was 1-3, but looking back, those losses were to Iowa, Cincinnati and Ohio State (all 10+ win teams). One of the two conference losses was the final regular season game where the RedHawks had nothing to play for and sat starters. In something that is truly stunning, Miami has been a favorite in only two games all year! Those were against Akron and Bowling Green. As an underdog, they are 7-4 ATS, winning outright six times. So while Louisiana finished the regular season with one of the best overall ATS marks (9-4), it's a lot of points to lay to a team well-versed in the underdog role. Two of the Ragin Cajuns three losses were to Appalachian State, the other to Mississippi State. Certainly, we can see them winning this game, but the margin that the oddsmakers are calling for here is too high. Miami has a good defense that makes plenty of tackles for loss. Play MIAMI OH AAA |
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01-04-20 | Tulane v. Southern Miss +7.5 | Top | 30-13 | Loss | -114 | 13 h 4 m | Show |
This is an 8* on SOUTHERN MISS Southern Miss is an underdog here against Tulane, but given the way the Green Wave played down the stretch, this sure looks like too many points for them to lay here. Losers of five of the past six games, including the last three, Tulane didn’t beat many good teams. Their one victory over a bowl team was the season opener vs. FIU. Since then, they’ve gone 0-6 and covered the spread just twice. Obviously both covers came as underdogs. Southern Miss saw its regular season end with two straight losses. They turned the ball over eight times in those two losses, which cost them a chance to win the Conference USA West Division. We expect the Golden Eagles to be slightly more motivated as they were not picked for a bowl last season despite winning six games. They easily could win here, so why not take the points? These schools used to be regular rivals, but have met only twice since 2006. Southern Miss not only won both of those, they’ve beaten Tulane six times in a row. Play on SOUTHERN MISS AAA |
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01-03-20 | Ohio v. Nevada UNDER 60 | Top | 30-21 | Win | 100 | 18 h 39 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the UNDER Nevada got hit with multiple suspensions for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Ohio, most of them on the defensive side of the ball. Four are defensive starters and three players will miss the entire game while LB Sewell must sit for the first half. These suspensions came about due to a fight with UNLV in the last regular season game. It's not just different players that coach Jay Norvell is being forced to turn to on that side of the ball. Essentially, it's an entirely new staff on the defensive side of the ball coaching this game. Virtually all were let go after losing to UNLV. But throughout this bowl season, we've seen replacements "step up" when needed. This total has gotten too high not to go Under. Some of that has to do with what Ohio did in its last two regular season games when they dropped a total of 118 points on Bowling Green and Akron. But those are two of the worst teams in the country. Nevada's offense only averages 21.3 points/game, which could be a bigger problem than the defense. They averaged just 18.0 points/game outside of Reno. The Under is 6-1 in the Wolf Pack's previous seven bowl appearances. Play UNDER Ohio-Nevada AAA |
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01-02-20 | Tennessee v. Indiana +3 | Top | 23-22 | Win | 100 | 10 h 38 m | Show |
This is a 10* on INDIANA Indiana is looking for its first bowl win since 1991. That's easily the longest drought among Power 5 teams. We had to look it up, but the Hoosiers are the ONLY P5 team not to have won a bowl this century. Only two other P5 teams have failed to win a bowl going back to 2008 (Kansas, Colorado). So if you don't think this game means a lot to IU, then you're kidding yourself. It's just the fifth bowl appearance since that last win in 1991. Tennessee is back in a bowl after a two year hiatus. Prior to the hiatus, they'd won three straight bowl games. Neither team had many good wins during the regular season. Generally speaking, they'd win the games they were "supposed to" and lost when they were an underdog. For us, it boils down to Indiana's high level of motivation and the fact they are now an underdog after opening as the favorite. The Hoosiers can score more than the Volunteers (32.6 vs. 24.3 points/game). Tennessee has failed to cover 10 of the last 13 times it has been a favorite. Play on INDIANA AAA |
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01-02-20 | Boston College +8 v. Cincinnati | Top | 6-38 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 54 m | Show |
This is an 8* on BOSTON COLLEGE Throughout this bowl season, we've seen bettors make the mistake of overreacting to players sitting out. Look at what happened last night with Georgia. Boston College is the next team dealing with a key absence as their star running back A.J. Dillon is getting ready for the NFL Draft. The Eagles also fired their coach at the end of the regular season and will play for an interim today. But don't be surprised when they show up ready to play in Birmingham. By upsetting Pittsburgh in the final game of the regular season, the BC players showed that playing in a bowl is important to them. We had the Eagles in that spot. We'll take the points with them again here as Cincinnati could very well be disinterested in this game after losing its Conference Championship, which cost them the chance to play in the Cotton Bowl. While they had a good season (10 wins), there have been only two times in the last six games where the Bearcats won by more than a touchdown. A dangerous number to lay with a potentially disinterested team and Boston College has covered nine in a row when getting between 3.5 and 10 points (5-0 ATS this year). Play on BOSTON COLLEGE AAA |
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01-01-20 | Baylor v. Georgia OVER 41 | Top | 14-26 | Loss | -109 | 25 h 12 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the OVER This total is too low. Even though we are still believers in Georgia's defense, it was shredded by LSU in the SEC Championship Game and that memory is difficult to shake. Baylor put up 35 points per game this year and was 10-0 against everyone but Oklahoma. QB Charlie Brewer, who exited the Big 12 Championship Game with a concussion, has been cleared to play to in the Sugar Bowl. We obviously need not worry about whether or not the Bears will be motivated. This is their first Sugar Bowl since 1957 and what a transformation it has been in just two seasons under coach Matt Rhule, who is sticking around in Waco despite all the NFL speculation. Georgia may have some key players sitting this one out, but last year's Sugar Bowl loss to Texas still lingers and that will have them motivated this year as well. The Over is 4-1 in Baylor's past five bowl games. Play OVER Baylor-Georgia AAA |
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01-01-20 | Michigan v. Alabama -7 | Top | 16-35 | Win | 100 | 17 h 24 m | Show |
This is an 8* on ALABAMA The fact that Alabama is laying only a touchdown here kinda "stinks" but we feel they shouldn't have much trouble with Michigan. This is a spot the Wolverines consistently come up short in every time. Under Jim Harbaugh, they have been terrible as underdogs going 0-6 the last three years while covering just twice. Three of those losses came this year including losses by 21 to Wisconsin and 29 to Ohio State. The Wolverines prospects look even bleaker when you consider that the Big 10 is just 3-9 SU and 2-10 ATS vs. the SEC in bowls since 2015. Even with backup QB Mac Jones starting in place of the injured Tua, Bama will move the ball and score plenty in the Citrus Bowl. Against Auburn, Jones threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns by completing 26 of his 39 pass attempts. The Tide's offensive line should push around an undersized Michigan defensive front. Both teams have to get over the disappointment of not being in the Playoff, but Michigan has never shown that it can beat a team of Alabama's caliber. It could get ugly in a hurry in Orlando. Play ALABAMA AAA |
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01-01-20 | Minnesota v. Auburn UNDER 54 | Top | 31-24 | Loss | -109 | 17 h 24 m | Show |
This is an 8* on the UNDER Minnesota was one of the biggest surprise teams in the country, starting 9-0 before losing two of its final three regular season games. But Auburn may be the best team they will have faced all season. The Gophers certainly haven't gone up against a better defense. Yes, Auburn gave up lots of yards and points in the Iron Bowl. But Minnesota doesn't have the same kind of offensive talent Alabama does. Before facing Bama, the Tigers hadn't allowed more than 24 points in a game all year. Minnesota did not finish with more than 19 points in either of its two losses. A lot of the Gophers success on offense this year came about because of its ability to convert on third down, which we feel they'll struggle to do in this game. So as long as Auburn's offense doesn't explode, we're looking at an easy Under in the Outback Bowl. That shouldn't happen as the Tigers don't average a ton of points outside of Jordan-Hare. Play UNDER in Minnesota-AUBURN AAA |
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12-31-19 | Florida State +4.5 v. Arizona State | Top | 14-20 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 44 m | Show |
This is an 8* on FLORIDA STATE Herm Edwards has proven to be a good hire for Arizona State. But his teams have tended to perform better when in the underdog role. The Sun Devils are 0-6 ATS as favorites this year and lost half of those games straight up. Its five wins over Power 5 opponents have been by an average of just 5.4 points/game. So we clearly don't like them in this spot as they're laying points to what should be a motivated Florida State team in the Sun Bowl. The Seminoles can only hope Mike Norvell, who moves over from Memphis, can be the kind of coach Edwards has been for ASU. But for this game they'll be playing for an interim, Odell Haggins, who at least gets to stay on Norvell's staff. Both teams are going to be without their starting running backs here as Cam Akers and Eno Benjamin have elected to get ready for the NFL Draft instead of play this game and risk injury. There are going to be other key absences for the Sun Devils. WR/KR Brandon Aiyuk is also going pro. Their defensive coordinator also left to be the head coach at New Mexico. Grab the points in this one. Play on FLORIDA STATE AAA |
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12-31-19 | Kentucky +3 v. Virginia Tech | Top | 37-30 | Win | 100 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
This is a 10* on KENTUCKY Unless folks are feeling extra sentimental over the swan song of long time Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, we don't understand this line move at all. Obviously, Foster's defense is going to want to send him out a winner. But you can look for the Hokies to struggle to contain UK quarterback Lynn Bowden, whose college career is also coming to an end in this game (going pro). Since Bowden became the starter, this Wildcats offense has been much better. They've averaged an amazing 352 rush yards/game. While the vast majority of the talk about defense will center around Va Tech and Foster leaving, the irony is that Kentucky has the better stop unit. They allow 18.4 points/game (Virginia Tech allowing 23.7), which is 12th best in the country. SEC team averaged only 330 yards/game vs. Kentucky. The Wildcats were something of a pointspread juggernaut this year going 9-3 against the spread. Virginia Tech is 1-6 straight up and against the spread its last seven games with a spread of three points or less. Play on KENTUCKY AAA |
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12-30-19 | Illinois +6.5 v. California | Top | 20-35 | Loss | -103 | 18 h 7 m | Show |
This is a 10* on Illinois Illinois is in a bowl for the first time under Lovie Smith, snapping what was a five-year drought. They last won a bowl game back in 2011. So what this team may lack in talent, it makes up for in motivation. During the regular season, the Illini went 6-1 ATS when they were underdogs and they won three of those games outright, all at +9.5 or higher. On the other side, there were only three times in the regular season where California was listed higher than -2 when facing a FBS team. They went 0-3 ATS in them and lost outright twice. So we're not sure why the Bears are laying so many here. Injuries were a big story for both teams this year and continue to be heading into the bowl game. Cal will be without three starters, the most important being safety Ashtyn Davis, who also doubled as a kick returned. For Illinois, both WR Josh Imatorbhebhe and LB Jake Hansen are gametime decisions. However, the Illini got great news with QB Peters being cleared to play. Disregard the way each team's regular season ended. This is a far more even matchup than the oddsmakers are letting on. Play on ILLINOIS AAA |
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12-28-19 | Clemson v. Ohio State UNDER 63.5 | Top | 29-23 | Win | 100 | 27 h 21 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the UNDER We've got the two longest winning streaks in all of the FBS on the line here as Clemson has won 28 straight games and Ohio State has won 19 in a row. But we also have two teams with top five scoring defenses. Clemson gives up just 10.6 points/game while again OSU isn't too far behind, allowing just 12.5. There is a pretty clear cut case to be made that neither defense has faced an offense as good as the one they'll be up against in this year's Fiesta Bowl. But this total still seems high to us. The Tigers haven't allowed more than 20 points in any game all season. Remember that they shut Ohio State out, 34-0, in the Playoff three years ago. That semifinal was played on this very field. The Buckeyes aren't going down that easy again and could very well win thanks to their defense which is considerably better than anything Clemson saw in the weak ACC. The Under is 4-0 in the Tigers' four previous semifinal appearances. The Under is also 4-1 in Ohio State's last five bowl games. Play UNDER Clemson-Ohio State AAA |
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12-28-19 | Oklahoma +14 v. LSU | Top | 28-63 | Loss | -110 | 23 h 21 m | Show |
This is a 10* on OKLAHOMA We've watched as this line has gone up ... and up. After thinking some, it's just too high. Oklahoma isn't a team you'll find too often in the underdog role, let alone getting this many points. Ironically, it has happened each of the last two years in the Playoff. Last year they lost to Alabama 45-33 but covered a spread that was pretty similar to this one. The year before they did not cover but were a small underdog to Georgia and that game went to double overtime. The Sooners only loss this year was by seven points (at Kansas State). QB Jalen Hurts has previous Playoff experience with Alabama. LSU's Heisman winner Joe Burrow is making his first Playoff appearance. Not going to sit here and tell you that LSU has any glaring weaknesses (because they don't). But this is too many points to lay to an Oklahoma team that averages 43.2 points/game, a comparable number to LSU's more ballyhooed offense. Look for this game to be decided by single digits. An injury at RB definitely won't help the favored Tigers. Oklahoma's defense is much improved from a season ago. Play on OKLAHOMA AAA |
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12-27-19 | Washington State v. Air Force UNDER 69 | Top | 21-31 | Win | 100 | 34 h 34 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the UNDER The respective offenses in this game couldn't be more different. Washington State loves to pass. Air Force loves to run. Neither defense has seen an offense like the one they will see Friday night in the Cheez-It Bowl and this has created the expectation for a shootout. But we believe this total to be too high. Air Force has a pretty good defense and it's not like it doesn't face a lot of pass-happy offenses in the Mountain West. The Falcons give up 19.8 points/game and held Hawaii to 26 in Honolulu. No one scored more than 30 against them in the regular season. Now will Washington State's defense be sound enough for this game to stay Under? Most are going to say "no," but it will help if Air Force RB Timothy Jackson misses the game. Washington State could also be without one of its leading receivers. It would be crazy to think that this will be a low scoring game, but with a number this high, there is room for an Under. Washington State has not scored more than 28 points in any of its last four bowl games. Play UNDER Washington State-Air Force AAA |
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12-27-19 | Oklahoma State v. Texas A&M -5.5 | Top | 21-24 | Loss | -120 | 30 h 6 m | Show |
This is a 10* on TEXAS A&M A lot of bettors might feel that a spread approaching a touchdown seems like a lot for what looks a matchup of two "evenly matched teams" in the Texas Bowl. But all five of Texas A&M's losses this year were to Top 10 teams (LSU, Georgia, Clemson, Alabama & Auburn) and three of the five teams were ranked #1 at the time the Aggies played them! Safe to say, you won't find a team that took on a more challenging schedule. Some of those lsses were "stinkers," the LSU game especially, but Oklahoma State is not in the same class as those aforementioned opponents. The Cowboys faced only four ranked foes this year and lost to three of them. Much is made that they have the nation's leading rusher in Chuba Hubbard (1936 yards), but Texas A&M's Isaiah Spiller softens the blow of teammate Cordarrian Richardson missing this game. Speaking of absences, OK State won't have leading receiver Tylan Wallace. QB Spencer Sanders will play, but he missed the last two regular season games after undergoing thumb surgery. Mike Gundy has been excellent in bowl games, winning seven of the last nine and three in a row. But so has Jimbo Fisher, who is 6-2 SU with a 52-13 win last year. Play on TEXAS A&M. AAA |
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12-26-19 | Pittsburgh v. Eastern Michigan +13 | Top | 34-30 | Win | 100 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
This is an 8* on EASTERN MICHIGAN It seems as if the narrative surrounding this bowl game is that it's "Pitt's to lose." They are obviously the more talented team and are led by a defense that has 49 sacks and 98 tackles for loss. But will the Panthers be motivated? They did not have a good finish to the regular season, losing to Virginia Tech and Boston College by a combined score of 54-19 in the final two games. That dropped them down the ACC pecking order and gave them this less than desirable bowl locale. But Eastern Michigan isn't complaining as Detroit is just 36 miles from their campus in Ypsilanti. So it's a home game of sorts for them. It's also another chance to notch their first bowl win since 1987 (California Raisin). That's the program's one and only bowl win. They've had two chances in the last three years, but came up just short both times. They lost last year's Camellia Bowl by two points to Georgia Southern and 2016's Bahamas Bowl by four points to Old Dominion. But they did cover both of those games. This is the just fourth bowl ever for the Eagles and the first time they've ever been bowling in consecutive years. So motivation will not be an issue for them. We're not even sure Pitt has an offense capable of covering a double digit spread. They only average 20.1 points/game. The Eastern Michigan offense is led by QB Mike Glass, who completed over 67% of his pass attempts and seven different receivers had more than 20 catches. Play on EASTERN MICHIGAN AAA |
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12-24-19 | BYU -1.5 v. Hawaii | Top | 34-38 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 33 m | Show |
This is an 8* play on BYU Obviously, this is a home game for Hawaii. But that doesn't necessarily guarantee victory on its own. The Warriors last four bowl appearances have all come in the Hawaii Bowl and three of them have resulted in losses. The most recent was last year to Louisiana Tech, 31-14. We think BYU is disciplined enough to avoid the distractions of going out to Honolulu for Christmas Ever and come away with a victory here. The Cougars are 7-5 with wins over Tennessee, USC and Boise State. Hawaii has the edge on offense with QB McDonald, but BYU is better defensively by a wider margin. In the last three games, BYU allowed just 277 yards/game. They have not allowed more than 24 points in any game since October. The Hawaii defense gives up 6.9 yards per play. While BYU scored only three points against San Diego State in the regular season finale, that was against one of the top defenses in the country and they actually rolled up over 400 yards (couldn't finish drives). One final thing to consider is that Hawaii turned the ball over 30 times in 14 games. Their turnover margin for the year was worse than all but three teams in the entire FBS. Play on BYU AAA |
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12-21-19 | Washington -3.5 v. Boise State | Top | 38-7 | Win | 100 | 93 h 28 m | Show |
This is an 8* on WASHINGTON The only Saturday bowl game with any sort of "national appeal" goes down in Las Vegas with Washington taking on #19 Boise State. There is a tremendous storyline for this game as Chris Petersen, who built the Boise State program to national prominance, will be coaching his final game at Washington. While Boise is the ranked team, we agree with the oddsmakers that Washington is better. Yes, it was a disappointing 7-5 season for Petersen in Seattle. But four of those five losses came by six points or less and two of them were blown leads against Oregon and Utah. As a favorite, the Huskies are 7-3 straight up and against the spread. Boise State has the better record (12-1) but that was against a much weaker schedule than what Washington faced. The Mountain West was pretty down this year. The Broncos may be a little disappointed from getting left out of a "New Year's Six" bowl. We also question how much they'll want to beat their former coach in his final game! Washington has lost its last three bowls, so their motivation will be through the roof in Petersen's final game. The defensive numbers of these two teams are pretty similar, but remember Washington faced a much tougher slate of offenses. Play on WASHINGTON AAA |
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12-21-19 | Liberty +5 v. Georgia Southern | Top | 23-16 | Win | 100 | 88 h 29 m | Show |
This is a 10* on LIBERTY The Cure Bowl in Orlando pits 7-5 Liberty against 7-5 Georgia Southern. Liberty is an independent (no conference affiliation) and it's pretty impressive they got to a bowl in just their second season at the FBS level. The Flames don't exactly have the most impressive resume as they were just 1-4 against bowl teams, but we like Hugh Freeze's team getting points here. Georgia Southern also got here by mostly beating up the weaklings on their schedule. They were 5-3 in the Sun Belt. Without question, their most impressive win came on a Thursday night at Appalachian State. The Eagles were the only team to beat the Mountaineers in the regular season. Outside of that signature win though, there doesn't seem to be much difference between GSU and Liberty. The Eagles do have the nation's eighth ranked rushing offense and are 2-0 all-time in bowls. But they are averaging only 23.3 points/game on the road, making them a shaky favorite. Look for Liberty to stay inside the number. Play on LIBERTY AAA |
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12-20-19 | Buffalo -6.5 v. Charlotte | Top | 31-9 | Win | 100 | 67 h 25 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BUFFALO Two schools that have never even won a bowl game kick off the 2019-20 bowl season as Buffalo takes on Charlotte in the Bahamas Bowl. This is Charlotte's first ever bowl game. The 49ers have only been playing football since 2013 and got to the FBS level in 2015. This, their fifth season in Conference USA, proved to be their first winning campaign as they finished a surprising 7-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play. They are one of seven Conference USA teams in a bowl. Buffalo also brings a 7-5 record to the Bahamas. They were 5-3 in the MAC and one of seven teams from that conference to get into a bowl game. The Bulls are 0-3 SU all-time in bowls, the most recent loss coming last year in the Dollar General Bowl, 42-32, as a one-point favorite to Troy. We'll lean on UB's previous bowl experience as a motivating factor plus they have the better defense. The Bulls allow less than 300 yds/game and set a school record with 38 sacks. Charlotte's defense allows significantly more points and yards and is going to have to figure out a way to stop a Buffalo offense that reached 40 points in each of its last four wins. Play on BUFFALO AAA |
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12-07-19 | UAB v. Florida Atlantic UNDER 50 | Top | 6-49 | Loss | -112 | 64 h 49 m | Show |
This is a 10* on UNDER UAB and Florida Atlantic will play Saturday in Boca Raton for the Conference USA Championship. These are the two previous Championship Game winners with FAU winning in 2017 and UAB winning last year. Obviously, Florida Atlantic has an edge with this Championship Game being played at home. Conference USA is one of only three conferences that play its Title Game at a campus site (American and Mountain West are the others). Though conference rivals, it's not like UAB and FAU are regular opponents. They haven't met since 2014. From 2008-14, they did play six times. All six games went Over. We believe this one is going to go a little differently. UAB has a great defense. They give up only 18.5 points/game. Problem is the offense struggles to score big time when it is on the road. There were back to back games at Tennessee and Southern Miss where the Blazers managed only nine points - total! UAB only faced four teams that are bowl eligible this year. The most points they scored in any of those games was 20. Florida Atlantic surged down the stretch and has won five in a row coming into Saturday. They've averaged an impressive 37.4 points/game during that win streak. But look for the Owls to be held well below that number here. At the same time, three of those five wins saw them allow 17 points or less. Given what we know about the UAB offense, that's a realistic number here. Play UNDER UAB-Florida Atlantic AAA |
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12-07-19 | Miami-OH +7 v. Central Michigan | Top | 26-21 | Win | 100 | 62 h 19 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MIAMI Central Michigan's only win of 2018 was against Maine, an FCS team. But the Chippewas have gone from 1-11 to 8-4 and MAC Championship Game favorite in just a year's time. Collectively, the MAC was pretty weak this year. So the idea any team would be favored by a touchdown in a Championship Game scenario just doesn't seem right. This line surprised us. Miami finished 7-5 overall and won the MAC East with a 6-2 conference record. Because they wrapped the division up three weeks ago, it meant they had nothing to play for the last two games. They only beat Akron by three and then lost by 14 last week at Ball State. We played against them both times and won! There is no shame in the RedHawks three non-conference losses as they were to Iowa, Cincinnati and Ohio State. The RedHawks are 24-8 straight up their last 34 conference games. Last week saw them rest starters in the second half, which is how a 27-14 halftime lead turned into a 41-27 loss. QB Gabbert got hurt in the 1st half, but is ready to go this week. Both teams were much better at home than on the road in the regular season. But Central Michigan had some bad losses (Buffalo, Western Michigan) and was lucky to beat Ball State after a big comeback. Expect a close game here. Rumors of Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain going to Missouri may be a distraction. Play on MIAMI OHIO AAA |
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12-01-19 | Army +3 v. Hawaii | Top | 31-52 | Loss | -115 | 26 h 16 m | Show |
This is a 10* on ARMY Army is 5-6 and needs a win to go bowling for a third consecutive season. Hawaii is 8-3 and has the Mountain West Championship Game (vs. Boise State) on deck. This seems like an excellent opportunity to take Army plus the points. Army is also coming off a bye as well as two easy opponents before that. Hawaii just won a hard fought game last week against San Diego State that came down to a missed field goal. The Warriors won 14-11 to clinch their division and thus move onto the Mt West's Championship Game next week. For the record, we were on Hawaii last week. They were our 10* Game of the Week, in fact! When getting set to face Army, an extra week of preparation is beneficial because of the triple option. Well, not only does Hawaii not have the extra week to prepare, they've got to be thinking about next week's game vs. Boise State. That one is more important to these players and coaching staff. As for Army, winning here is all that matters so that they can get to six wins. When coming off a bye, they've gone 6-1 SU/5-2 ATS. They've also covered 9 of 13 as underdogs with five outright wins. Hawaii is 3-6 SU, 2-6-1 ATS coming off back to back wins. Play on ARMY AAA |
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11-30-19 | Boston College +9.5 v. Pittsburgh | Top | 26-19 | Win | 100 | 17 h 17 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BOSTON COLLEGE Boston College has won exactly 7 games in five of Steve Adazzio's six seasons here in Chesnut Hill. The outlier season was 2015 when the Golden Eagles went 3-9. To get to 7 wins again this year, they are going to have to first win this week and then a bowl game. There won't be a bowl for B.C. if they lose this week at Pittsburgh. They enter in at 5-6 after losing 40-7 last week at Notre Dame. This will now be the third try for six wins. They also lost at home to Florida State three weeks ago. Fortunately for BC, Pitt doesn't have much to play for here. The Panthers have 7 wins, so they'll be in a bowl. But they were shutout last week, 28-0, by Virginia Tech. We question whether this Panthers team can even score enough to cover a spread this big. They only average 20.2 points/game. None of Pitt's seven wins have been by more than 10 points. With only one meeting as ACC rivals, there's some unfamiliarity here. Pitt has been outscored despite a 7-4 record - by 1.3 points/game. B.C. has a virtually identical scoring differential. So this is a line that should be closer to a field goal. Some real value on a underdog that will be more motivated than the favorite. Play on BOSTON COLLEGE AAA |
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11-30-19 | Georgia v. Georgia Tech OVER 46.5 | Top | 52-7 | Win | 100 | 14 h 47 m | Show |
This is an 8* play on the OVER Georgia will be playing LSU in the SEC Championship Game next week, but first they've got this date with Georgia Tech. It shouldn't be a very difficult game as the Yellow Jackets are struggling this year. We look for the Bulldogs to score a lot of points in this one, many more than they've been scoring against SEC defenses. Georgia Tech used to run the option under Paul Johnson, but has transitioned to a more pro style offense under first year coach Geoff Collins. As you'd expect, it's been a difficult transition with personnel fit for the old system. The Yellow Jackets are averaging only 17.5 points/game. But they did just score 28 in win over NC State last week. QB James Graham accounted for all four touchdowns, three throwing and one running. Georgia hasn't scored more than 27 points in six straight games. But look at some of the defenses they've had to go up against. Georgia Tech is giving up over 30 points/game, so expect this to be a big day for QB Jake Fromm and the rest of the Bulldogs offense. Georgia did score at least 30 in four of its first five games including 55+ in the two non-conference games that weren't Notre Dame. Six straight Unders is the streak Georgia is on coming into this game. It's time for the offense to finally get rolling again. They've scored 83 on Ga Tech the last two years and can send this one Over by themselves. Play OVER Georgia-Georgia Tech AAA |
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11-29-19 | Arkansas State v. South Alabama +11 | Top | 30-34 | Win | 100 | 33 h 41 m | Show |
This is an 8* on SOUTH ALABAMA South Alabama is finishing up a terrible season here (Jaguars come in at 1-10 SU), but we're banking on Arkansas State being a disinterested favorite Friday afternoon. Despite having very different records, these Sun Belt opponents may not be as far apart as you think. Arkansas State is 7-4. All they can do with a win here is improve their bowl position. The Red Wolves have won four in a row, but the last three have all been decided by seven points or less. Compare that to poor South Alabama who has generally been competitive, but can't quite get over the hump. Having a freshman QB hasn't helped the Jaguars cause, but at least there have been signs of improvement from Desmond Trotter. Key here is that Arkansas State has a terrible defense. The Red Wolves have allowed the second most yards in the Sun Belt. They allow 34.9 points/game overall and 41.6 points/game on the road. Despite a winning record, they have given up more points than they've scored this year. They've been outgained the last two weeks. South Alabama hasn't beaten a FBS opponent this year. Their only win came against Jacksonville State. But they are playing the final game at home, which should mean some motivation. The last three years have seen the Jaguars go 3-0 in SBC home finales. Arkansas State isn't likely to take this game too seriously. They'll be happy with just winning, but don't look for a blowout. Play on SOUTH ALABAMA AAA |
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11-29-19 | West Virginia v. TCU -13.5 | Top | 20-17 | Loss | -109 | 19 h 51 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TCU TCU has to pick itself up here after a close loss to Oklahoma last Saturday night. Lucky for them is that they have the motivation of needing to win here to get to a bowl game. West Virginia should be happy to oblige. This has been a bad season in Morgantown. The Mountaineers have lost six out of their last seven games. Their hopes of going to a bowl ended last week when they lost at home to Oklahoma State by a score of 20-13. TCU has had its share of close defeats as well. Five of the six times they've lost this year, the final margin has been within a touchdown. But they were in this exact situation last year, needing to win the final regular season game. They did just that, beating Oklahoma State by a touchdown. It's a weaker opponent this time around, one that has nothing left to play for. The Horned Frogs also have some revenge on their minds after losing 47-10 last season in Morgantown. To us, it's not a question of whether or not TCU wins. They will. It's a question of "by how much?" With WVU having gone 5-10-2 its last 17 tries as an underdog, it doesn't look good for them Friday afternoon in Ft. Worth. The home team has won four straight in this rivalry. Play on TCU AAA |
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11-29-19 | Missouri v. Arkansas OVER 54 | Top | 24-14 | Loss | -110 | 30 h 12 m | Show |
This is a 10* on OVER Missouri's season has completely gone off a cliff with five straight losses. Adding insult to injury, their bowl ban for 2019 was just upheld. Had the ban been overturned, the Tigers could have gotten to a bowl by winning the regular season finale.If there's one team in the SEC that's definitely in worse shape than Mizzou, it's Arkansas. The Razorbacks already fired their coach and a loss today would mean a second consecutive 2-10 season. With nothing on the line but alleged "pride" Friday afternoon in Fayatteville, we expect plenty of points to be scored in this one. Really, does either side have any pride left? Arkansas just lost its first game for interim Barry Lunney Jr, 56-20 to LSU. They at least covered as 40+ point underdogs. But it was the fifth straight game the Razorbacks allowed at least 45 points. Mizzou will relish facing a defense like Arkansas's as the Tigers have had all sorts of issues scoring during their losing skid. At least last week they got to 20 points against Tennessee. The previous four games saw the Tigers a total of only 27 points. We'll call for their best offensive performance since October 12th here. The Over is 7-2 in Arkansas previous nine home games vs. a team with a losing road record. (Missouri hasn't won on the road in 2019.) The Over is also 10-4 when the Hogs are off an ATS win. Play OVER Missouri-Arkansas AAA |
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11-29-19 | Miami-OH v. Ball State -3 | Top | 27-41 | Win | 100 | 28 h 42 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BALL STATE The first thing that caught our eye here was that a 4-7 team was favored over a 7-4 opponent. Our raw numbers are in agreement that Ball State is in fact the better team, so we'll be laying the points in this "unique situation." There have been four instances of a 4-7 team (or worse) being favored over a 7-4 team (or better). Sadly for our case, the chalk has never covered. But there are two factors that differentiate this game from all previous incarnations. One is that this is a conference game. Two is that the underdog has a more important game on deck. Miami is playing for the MAC Championship next week, which will be its first appearance in that game since 2007. They do not yet know their opponent. It'll be Central Michigan if the Chippewas beat Toledo, a game that takes place at the same time as this one. The MAC Championship is what is on the players and coaches minds. For Ball State, this is basically their "bowl game" as they've got nothing else to play for. The Cardinals deserve a better fate than staying home for the postseason. They've lost four in a row with three of those losses coming by a total of eight points. There's some revenge in the air in Muncie with Ball State having lost to Miami three years in a row. Note BSU is averaging 41.0 points/game at home. Miami averages just 15.8 points/game on the road. Play on BALL STATE AAA |
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11-28-19 | Ole Miss v. Mississippi State -2.5 | Top | 20-21 | Loss | -109 | 53 h 39 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MISS ST This line seems awfully strange given that Mississippi State needs the game to get bowl eligible. Rival Ole Miss is 4-7 SU, so you won't be seeing them in any bowl. Obviously, the Rebels will still come out motivated given who the opponent is. But it's not as if MSU won't feel the same way, if not more so, based on what a loss would mean to them. While its easy to say Miss State has regressed under Joe Moorhead, a lot of talent was lost from last year's team which had the #2 defense in all of the FBS. Especially along the defensive line. The Bulldogs have given up over 2x as many points this year compared to last. But looking at MSU's season, it's easy to see what the problem is. They just didn't fare well against good teams. As underdogs, their record is 0-4 straight up and against the spread. They lost those four games by an average of 26.5 points/game. But the Bulldogs are slight favorites here, as they should be, for a game they have to win. They'll be looking to reverse a trend that has seen the visitor win the last four Egg Bowls. Ole Miss has just two wins since Oct 5th. It was against New Mexico State. Their two SEC wins were against Arkansas and Vanderbilt, each of whom occupy last place in the respective divisions. The only other Rebels win was against a FCS school. As an underdog, they are 0 for 6 (SU) this year. Miss State is the better team and we will play accordingly. Play on MISSISSIPPI STATE AAA |
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11-23-19 | San Diego State v. Hawaii -3 | Top | 11-14 | Push | 0 | 28 h 49 m | Show |
This is a 10* on HAWAII There's certainly a lot on the line here. The winner of this late night affair wins the Mountain West Conference's West Division. Lucky for Hawaii that they get the game at home where they have a distinct advantage. San Diego State may be 5-0 on the road, but this is the toughest trip in the conference. Hawaii could only manage a 21-7 win over a bad UNLV team last week. But the Warriors apparently didn't take the Rebels very seriously. QB Cole McDonald, who has thrown for over 3000 yards this season, didn't even start. The coaching staff wanted to evaluate redshirt freshman QB Chevan Cordeiro and let him play the first quarter. We had the Under in that game and loved seeing Cordeiro throw two interceptions and fail to direct a single scoring drive. Once McDonald came in though, Hawaii quickly seized control of the game. This game likely comes down to Hawaii's offense vs. SDSU's defense. Hawaii is averaging 36.2 points and over 500 yards in home games. The Aztecs are giving up less than 14 points and 300 yards. Hawaii's defense isn't great, but it also allowed only seven points last week. San Diego State has only three games where they scored more than 25 points. If Hawaii gets going like normal, then the Aztecs simply won't be able to keep pace. Play on HAWAII AAA |
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11-23-19 | Arkansas +43.5 v. LSU | Top | 20-56 | Win | 100 | 24 h 16 m | Show |
This is an 8* play on ARKANSAS Few will want to touch Arkansas as they are in midst of a lost season and facing the #1 team in the country Saturday night. But this is obviously a lot of points. LSU is good, but they've never had to lay more than 40 in SEC play. That tidbit caught our attention this week. While LSU appears on its way to the College Football Playoff, Arkansas has already fired its coach. Chad Morris didn't even make it two full seasons in Fayatteville. He was fired two weeks ago after the Razorbacks lost 45-19 at home to Western Kentucky. As abrupt as the firing was, it was not the least bit surprising. So now long-time assistant Barry Lunney Jr has been tapped as the interim. The Hogs had last week off, so Lunney and his staff have had two weeks to prepare for LSU. Two months wouldn't be enough for them win this game, but with no bowl game, this team is going to approach this game like it's the "Super Bowl." Expect an inspired effort by the underdog Saturday night. As for the other sideline, LSU coach Ed Orgeron has made it pretty clear that he's going to pull starters as early as possible. That will give Arkansas opportunities in the second half. While the Tigers offense is record-setting, the defense isn't that great. They gave up 614 yards in last week's 58-37 win against Mississippi. It was the fourth game this year that LSU allowed at least 450 yards and 37 points. Rutgers covered against Ohio State last week. Arkansas can do the same this week. Play on ARKANSAS AAA |
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11-23-19 | California +2.5 v. Stanford | Top | 24-20 | Win | 100 | 24 h 10 m | Show |
This is a 10* on CAL It's been a decade since California has won "The Big Game." Nine straight losses to Stanford have come by an average of 19 points/game. But we feel this will be the year for the crew from Berkeley. In recent years, Cal has definitely closed the gap on their rivals from Palo Alto. For this, the 122nd meeting, the Bears actually come in with the better won-loss record. It's been a long time since that was the case. Now after a 4-0 start, the Bears have lost five of six. Like Stanford, they are incredibly banged up coming into this game. Both teams are starting backup quarterbacks. But on the defensive side of the ball, we like what Cal has to offer more. We played against Stanford last week. They lost 49-22 at Washington State and had just six yards rushing. We warned you about the Cardinal's offensive ineptitude after they could only score 13 points on a Colorado defense that is probably the Pac 12's worst. While Stanford needs to win here and next week to be bowl eligible, we don't think there's any doubt as to which side will be more motivated Saturday down on "The Farm." This nine-year losing streak has to be eating at the Cal players and the senior class doesn't want to go out 0-4. Cal is 4-2 ATS as an underdog this year (three outright wins) and 10-5 ATS its last 15 road games. Stanford is 3-7 ATS in all games this season. Play on CALIFORNIA AAA |
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11-23-19 | Syracuse +9 v. Louisville | Top | 34-56 | Loss | -110 | 21 h 29 m | Show |
This is an 8* on SYRACUSE One of the more inexplicable results we've seen in College Football this year was Syracuse beating Duke last week. The Orange had gone nearly two months without a win over a FBS foe. They were 8.5-point underdog on the road. Yet they ran wild for 286 yards on the ground and won 49-6. Just because we did not see that result coming does not mean it is without merit. Syracuse is a proud program still trying to make a bowl game. Last year's 10-win season was capped by a bowl victory. You can bet Dino Babers' team would like to get back there. Louisville is already bowl eligible, a major achievement after winning just two games in 2018. First year head coach Scott Satterfield has done a nice job here. But the Cardinals as a favorite is something we want no part of quite yet. This game marks the first time under Satterfield that Louisville is laying more than four points to a conference opponent. The Cardinals were -4 last week at NC State and won 34-20. But they also lost the total yardage battle in that game. They won the turnover battle though (+3) and also pulled off a fake field goal for a touchdown. It also helped that their opponents played without their top five cornerbacks! What a difference a year makes. Last year, Syracuse won 10 games and was considered the rising program in the ACC. Now its Louisville in that same position. We just aren't convinced that the favorite belongs in this price range - yet. Play on SYRACUSE AAA |
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11-22-19 | Colorado State v. Wyoming OVER 50.5 | Top | 7-17 | Loss | -116 | 10 h 9 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the OVER The annual "Border War" between Colorado State and Wyoming is renewed Friday night. Despite being in different states, the schools are just 65 miles apart. Wyoming is CSU's most common opponent with Rams holding 58-47-5 all-time series edge. But the Cowboys have won three years in a row, including 34-21 in Ft. Collins last season. Colorado State comes into Friday needing to win its last two games to get bowl eligible. That's probably not going to happen as next week they face Boise State, whom they've never beaten. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be expecting some fireworks out of the Rams this week. Last Saturday night at Air Force, Colorado State had an early 14-0 lead. But they couldn't hold on and ended up not even covering due to a late pick-six that made the final score 34-21 in Air Force's favor. It was the fewest points scored by the Rams since facing the tough defense of San Diego State. Turnovers were also costly for Wyoming last week as they had four of them in a 26-21 loss at Utah State. The good news for the Cowboys is this game is at home where they are 5-0 and averaging 33 points. Wyoming lost its starting QB (Sean Chambers) a few weeks ago and has a pretty stout defense. That may lead some to believe that Under is the correct call here. But you can look for the Cowboys to have plenty of success running the ball in this game. CSU gives up 206.7 rush yards per game. Wyoming averages 220 rush yards per game. Both teams will find ways to score here. Play OVER Colorado State-Wyoming AAA |
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11-21-19 | NC State v. Georgia Tech -2 | Top | 26-28 | Push | 0 | 25 h 25 m | Show |
This is a 10* on GEORGIA TECH It seems as if ESPN and College Football have conceded Thursday night to the NFL this week as they present a rather unappealing matchup between NC State and Georgia Tech. But sometimes these kind of matchups produce the most value. We see value on the home side in Atlanta. Little was expected from Georgia Tech coming into the 2019 season. They have certainly delivered on those low expectations with a 2-8 record. The reason for those low expectations was the transition from the triple option to a pro-style offense. The Yellow Jackets had started to show signs of improvement, but then ran into a buzzsaw known as Virginia Tech last week. The less said about the 45-0 loss, the better. NC State isn't exactly tearing it up either. Four straight losses where they've allowed 178 points is an ugly stretch, no matter how you want to look at it. The Wolfpack are also allowing 456.3 yards per game during the same four-game span. This is a horrendous defensive output, one that should allow for Georgia Tech to have perhaps its best offensive game of the season. It's been five years since we've seen a NC State-Georgia Tech matchup. The Yellow Jackets are 12-3 the last 15 meetings and have gone 15-2 the last 17 games against the ACC's Atlantic Division. Georgia Tech was embarrassed last week. We can't see it happening for a second straight week at home. It's telling that they are the favorite here. NC State's defense is so bad right now that they simply can't be trusted to cover a game, even if they still have a chance to be bowl eligible. Play on GEORGIA TECH AAA |
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11-20-19 | Akron +31.5 v. Miami-OH | Top | 17-20 | Win | 100 | 12 h 7 m | Show |
This is an 8* on AKRON Let's hold our nose and try again with Akron, who is the only team in the country without win this year (0-10). The Zips are also the only team without a single ATS win (0-10 ATS). But this is a tremendous amount of points to be getting against a Miami team that has nothing to play for these next two weeks. Miami clinched the MAC East with a 44-3 beatdown of Bowling Green last Wednesday. They now are in the unique spot of just waiting for the MAC Title Game. At 6-4, they are already bowl eligible. It's just about staying healthy for the MAC Championship Game at this point. There have been two times in the last three seasons that the RedHawks have been favored by at least 31 points. They won both, obviously. But they didn't cover either time. Both games were against FCS teams. You'd have to go back a long way to find the last time Miami was favored by this many in conference play. Even though Akron is the worst team in the country, they're still "only" losing by 26 points/game. An "average" loss would have them inside the number tonight. This is the most points they've gotten in any game all season. Believe it or not, the Zips have never closed higher than +21.5. Last year marked the first time in seven tries that Miami beat Akron by more than a touchdown. They'll have no interest in covering this huge number tonight. Play on AKRON AAA |
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11-16-19 | Oklahoma v. Baylor +11 | Top | 34-31 | Win | 100 | 51 h 3 m | Show |
This is an 8* play on BAYLOR Baylor is 9-0, but they're also a home dog to Oklahoma this week. Not only that, they are a double-digit home dog. That's pretty rare territory for a team to be in. The only other time in the last 40 years that a 9-0 team was a home dog of at least 7 points was Notre Dame's famous upset of Florida State in 1993. Only six 9-0 or better teams have EVER been a home underdog. Four of the six wound up winning their games outright. It should be pointed out that 9-0 Minnesota is also an underdog this week, but they're playing on the road. Speaking of the Golden Gophers, they were in a pretty similar spot last week (were 8-0) vs. Penn State and won. Bottom line is you shouldn't be writing off these unbeatens just because you didn't expect them to be unbeaten at this point. Baylor has won plenty of close games this year. But they are also 6-0 ATS their last six games as an underdog, winning five of them straight up. Coach Matt Rhule is 32-14 ATS in his career getting points and has won 16 of those games straight up. That includes 13-5 ATS as a home dog with seven straight up wins. Oklahoma's defense has been bad the last two games, giving up 48 and 41 points. They lost at Kansas State and then needed to stop an Iowa State 2-point try in the final minute to win last week. Baylor has allowed more than 21 points in regulation only two times all year. They can certainly win this game. Play on BAYLOR AAA |
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11-16-19 | Stanford v. Washington State -10.5 | Top | 22-49 | Win | 100 | 48 h 4 m | Show |
This is an 8* on WASHINGTON STATE The loser of this game is going to see their postseason hopes take a major hit. Both Stanford and Washington State enter at 4-5 meaning whomever loses here will then need to win out just to get to a bowl game. Fortunately for Wazzu, the game is in Pullman where they have lost only two times in the last three seasons. Once was last year's Apple Cup (vs. Washington). The other was earlier this season in that wild 67-63 game against UCLA. Stanford isn't about to score 27 points, let alone 67. Consider the Cardinal "offensively challenged" as they could manage only 13 points last week against a Colorado defense that is probably the Pac 12's worst. Stanford averages only 21.6 points/game and has been held below that average five times. Washington State has scored at least 30 in every Pac 12 game besides Utah and Cal, who are the league's two best defensive teams. In the last three years, Mike Leach's offense has put up 107 points on the Stanford defense. This year, the Cardinal are missing two key players in their secondary. Despite losing five of six, the Cougs are still a formidable group. They get back on track in a big way Saturday afternoon. Play on WASHINGTON STATE AAA |
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11-16-19 | Hawaii v. UNLV UNDER 74.5 | Top | 21-7 | Win | 100 | 48 h 35 m | Show |
This is a 10* play on the UNDER Hawaii games have seen a spike in scoring over the last month with five straight games going Over. Every one of those five games saw at least 79 total points scored. Oddsmakers have been slow playing catchup as not even an absurd 78.5 could keep the Warriors and San Jose State Under last week (Hawaii won 42-40). But this week should finally be the time where the scoring subsides. UNLV is the opponent this week. The Rebels don't have any chance of making a bowl and Tony Sanchez may be coaching his final games out in the desert. The Rebels just can't seem to put it together offensively. Six of the last eight games have seen them held to 17 points or less. If UNLV is held to anything close to 17 points this week, then this will be an easy Under. Hawaii can't go Over themselves. They've scored more than 45 points only one time in 2019. Hitting the mainland, we expect Hawaii's offense not to be as prolific as recent weeks. The home team is on a 9-1 run in the series and that includes a 35-28 Hawaii win in Honolulu last year. Four of the last five meetings have seen 72 points or less scored. UNLV is off a bye, but that hardly matters. They are going nowhere fast. Redshirt freshman Kenyon Oblad isn't the answer at quarterback. Play UNDER Hawaii-Nevada AAA |
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11-16-19 | Central Michigan v. Ball State -2.5 | Top | 45-44 | Loss | -104 | 47 h 5 m | Show |
This is a 10* play on BALL ST Sometimes, handicapping a particular matchup (in any sport) can come to down to one simple factor. In the case of this game, it's all about homefield advantage. Ball State has it and that should be enough for the Cardinals to move one step closer to being bowl eligible on Saturday afternoon. Lay this short number with confidence. Ball State comes in averaging 40.2 points in their four games at Scheumann Stadium. They lost their last time here, 34-21 to Ohio, so that right there should tell you what they did offensively in the other three. The 40.2 points/game scoring average is well above what the Cardinals average in road games (27.5 points/game). Again, homefield advantage matters. It matters not just for Ball State, but for Central Michigan as well. The Chippewas home vs. road split is even wider than their opposition's. While Central Michigan averages 43.0 points/game at home, they average just 17.0 points/game on the road. The Chippewas have lost four of their five road games this year. The win was over Bowling Green, who is 3-7. In the other three road games, Central Michigan scored 0, 12 and 15 points. Central Michigan is already bowl eligible. Ball State is not. The Cardinals need to win two of the next three games and could be underdogs in the next two. The Cardinals won in Mount Pleasant last year 24-23 as a two-point dog. Play on BALL STATE AAA |
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11-15-19 | Louisiana Tech v. Marshall -3.5 | Top | 10-31 | Win | 100 | 49 h 56 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MARSHALL Since losing 52-17 to Texas in the first game of the season, Louisiana Tech has won eight in a row. They are 5-1-1 ATS the last seven games and since a Week 6 bye, the Bulldogs have averaged an amazing 52 points/game. They hit that number on the nose last week with a very impressive win over North Texas. That performance last week was definitely not what we were expecting. The Bulldogs are one of seven teams left without a conference loss. But they are underdogs this week at Marshall and for good reason. Marshall's defense has been excellent over the last five games, giving up just 20.4 points/game. So the Thundering Herd have what it takes to slow this La Tech attack down. The Herd have won four straight themselves and control their own destiny over in the East Division of Conference USA. This is just the third all-time meeting, so Huntington is not a place Louisiana Tech is all too familiar with. Their last visit here was the 2014 Conference USA Title Game, which they lost 26-23. Marshall is 48-18 SU its last 66 home games. Louisiana Tech's ascent is not something that was expected. At least to this height. Marshall is primed to win 8+ games for the 5th time in 6 seasons and they are off a bye. Play on MARSHALL AAA |
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11-14-19 | North Carolina +4.5 v. Pittsburgh | Top | 27-34 | Loss | -110 | 26 h 14 m | Show |
This is a 10* on NORTH CAROLINA Mack Brown's has certainly made North Carolina better. But in order for this season to be considered a success, the Tar Heels need to get to a bowl. To do that, they'll need to win two of their next three games. Next week vs. Mercer is a lock. But they'll also need to win one of two road games, this week at Pitt or the regular season finale at NC State. North Carolina has beaten Pittsburgh six straight times. Yet they are the underdog Thursday night. With the game being at Heinz Field, that makes sense. But even when UNC was struggling the last couple years, they still managed to beat the Panthers. The Tar Heels were a combined 5-18 the last two years with just two ACC wins. Both were against Pitt. Brown brings a better team in this year, one that started its season with upsets over South Carolina and Miami FL. Since then, the Heels are just 2-5. But it's worth pointing out that all five losses were one-score games. Three of those losses were by a total of six points. Pitt won the ACC Coastal last year, but still lost seven games. At 6-3 this year, they're already assured of a bowl. Were they to win out, they'd have a shot at repeating as division champs. But they haven't won a game by more than 10 points all year and half of their wins have been by a field goal or less. Brown definitely wants that bowl bid his first year back in Chapel Hill. With the success North Carolina has had in the past vs. Pitt, we've gotta grab the points in this matchup. UNC is already 3-1 ATS as a dog this year. Honestly, they may be the better team here. A Pitt offense averaging just 20.9 points/game can't really be trusted as a favorite, can it? Play on NORTH CAROLINA AAA |
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11-12-19 | Eastern Michigan v. Akron +17.5 | Top | 42-14 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 15 m | Show |
This is an 8* play on AKRON Akron isn't just the worst team in the country on the field, they are also the worst team in the country at the betting window. The winless Zips have matching 0-9 straight up and against the spread records. Despite this dubious distinction, we will "take the bait" on Tuesday and grab the points with the "ugly" home dog.Eastern Michigan isn't exactly a world-beater itself. The Eagles come into this game at 4-5, needing two more wins to gain bowl eligibility. While they've got to feel good about their chances of winning tonight, them laying so many points on the road is unfamiliar. Over the last 10 seasons, EMU has been a road favorite just four times, all four coming in the last three seasons. Just one of those four times were they asked to lay more than a field. It was last year's regular season finale where bowl eligibility was on the line. They won 28-20 at Kent State, but did not cover as 13-point favorites. It's not like the Eagles have played well lately. They've lost four of five. Ten days ago, they were blown out 43-14 by Buffalo and that was at home. They haven't won a game here in Akron since the 90's. Making a case for Akron is kind of tough. But this is more of a fade on Eastern Michigan anyway. None of the Eagles four wins this year have been by more than seven points. Plus weather will be a factor tonight (snow) as the kickoff time had to be moved up two hours. Play on AKRON AAA |
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11-09-19 | Tennessee v. Kentucky OVER 41.5 | Top | 17-13 | Loss | -110 | 52 h 32 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the OVER Tennessee has shown it still has a pulse by scoring 71 points the last two weeks. (They also won both games) Kentucky is off a bye, so their offense should be as healthy and ready as its been in some time. With a low total, we like this game to go Over. Part of Kentucky's problem this year has been at quarterback. But they have found a solution in the most unique of ways. Receiver Lynn Bowden Jr was moved over to QB and has dazzled with back to back virtuoso performances. Bowden has RUN for 400 yards in two starts. It's something the Tennessee defense is going to have trouble prepping for. The Wildcats haven't exactly faced the most impressive slate of offenses recently and the game vs. Missouri two weeks ago took place in a downpour. It's worth noting that before UK's last five games went Under, the first three all went Over. Tennessee has shown it can score the last two weeks. The 41-point effort against South Carolina was especially impressive. This is the third year in a row that Kentucky is favored to beat Tennessee. Before that, they'd been favored just once in 50 years! The Vols are 3-0 ATS in those three games as dogs and they've also scored at least 24 points the last five meetings, including three games with at least 49 points. Play OVER Tennessee-Kentucky AAA |
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11-09-19 | North Texas +5.5 v. Louisiana Tech | Top | 17-52 | Loss | -105 | 48 h 54 m | Show |
This is a 9* on NORTH TEXAS Most of the teams without a conference loss should be familiar to you as they are also unbeaten on the year. There are a few exceptions to this "rule," and the one you probably know the least about is Louisiana Tech out of Conference USA. The Bulldogs are 4-0 against the rest of the conference and coming off a bye this week. Their only loss this year was against Texas, which was the first game of the season. They've since won seven straight games against what we'd have to call one of the weakest schedules in the entire country. Here is who La Tech has beaten this year: Grambling, Bowling Green, FIU, Rice, UMass, Southern Miss and UTEP. Take Southern Miss and FIU out of the equation and that's some of the worst teams in the country. Grambling is a FCS team while the other four opponents have a combined 5-30 SU record. North Texas just clobbered UTEP last week, 56-22, which snapped a 4-game ATS losing streak. The Mean Green were favored to win the West Division in C-USA this year, so this is a huge game for them. They are two back of La Tech in the loss column. The home team has not fared in this rivalry, losing six of the last eight matchups. The underdog has won outright four straight times. North Texas QB Mason Fine threw 7 TD passes last week and he could be the difference in this one. Play on NORTH TEXAS AAA |
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11-09-19 | Georgia Southern v. Troy +3 | Top | 28-49 | Win | 100 | 47 h 24 m | Show |
This is an 8* on TROY Last week saw Georgia Southern pull off a big upset over Applachian State, the second year in a row they beat the Mountaineers. Troy, another team from the Sun Belt, wasn't quite as fortunate as they lost by one point at Coastal Carolina. Having to come back and lay points on the road seems like a trap for a team that is off its biggest win of the season. Georgia Southern has won four in a row, but three of those wins were by exactly three points. Three of their four road games this season have been three-point games. The other was a 55-3 loss to LSU. The only other time the Eagles were favored on the road, they failed to cover (-10 at South Alabama). Troy lost on a 2-point conversion last week. Coastal Carolina scored a touchdown in the final 30 seconds to make it a 35-34 game, then converted the 2-pt play for the win. Troy lost despite 500 yards of offense and trailing for just over three minutes of actual game time.If this scenario sounds familiar, last week we took a team that was coming off a loss as a favorite (South Carolina) against a team that had just pulled an upset the previous week (Vanderbilt). The final score there was 24-7. Troy had won 10 or more games three years running, so at 3-5 this can be classified as a disappointing season. The Trojans may need to win out just to get to a bowl. It's Homecoming. They've beaten Ga Southern two years in a row. They should win here. Play on TROY AAA |
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11-09-19 | Baylor -2 v. TCU | Top | 29-23 | Win | 100 | 44 h 54 m | Show |
This is a 10* on BAYLOR Given where this number opened, there still seems to be a real lack of faith in Baylor. The Bears are unbeaten (8-0), but were ranked only 12th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. There are six teams with at least one loss ranked ahead of the Bears and two with two losses! We're here to say that we do have faith that Matt Rhule's team can win the Big 12 this year. The schedule has set up nicely so far and looking forward, both Oklahoma and Texas have to come to Waco. There have been some close wins along the way (three by a field goal or less), including last week. But off the previous two close wins, Baylor came back to win the next game by 19 and 18 points. Over the last 40 years, there have been only nine times where a team that was 8-0 or better found itself favored by a field goal or less on the road. Those nine unbeatens have responded by going 7-2 ATS! That's the situation Baylor is in here. TCU is 4-4 with three losses by seven points or less. The last time they were at home, they beat Texas 37-27. But in last week's 34-27 loss at Oklahoma State, they lost two quarterbacks to injury! A third QB on the roster decided to transfer out of the program this week! The expectation is that starter Max Duggan will play Saturday, but he fell to the turf hard last week, injuring his shoulder. He won't be at 100%. Baylor didn't look that great last Thursday against West Virginia. They won 17-14, which was the fewest points scored in any game all year for them. But getting extra time to prepare for an opponent they know well should help. TCU has beaten Baylor four years in a row, so that's even more motivation for the Bears besides wanting to stay unbeaten. Play on BAYLOR AAA |
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11-08-19 | Washington -10 v. Oregon State | Top | 19-7 | Win | 100 | 15 h 27 m | Show |
This is an 8* on WASHINGTON Washington is off two gut-wrenching defeats, both at home. They were underdogs against both Oregon and Utah. What's interesting about that is that prior to those two games, the Huskies had not been a home dog since 2015, which was Chris Petersen's 2nd year here in Seattle. They led Oregon by two touchdowns in the second half (lost 35-31) and then were up going into the 4th quarter last week against Utah (lost 33-28). Now the Huskies go from home dog to road favorite. It's a bit of a dangerous spot facing a suddenly hot Oregon State team. But this is a game Washington should win big. They are 5-2 ATS in the games they've been favored to win this year. Washington is 8-1 this decade vs. OSU including seven straight wins. Six of those wins have been by double digits. Oregon State's resurgence has largely come at the expense of the bottom of the Pac 12. The Beavers have beaten UCLA, Cal and Arizona, all of those wins coming on the road, ironically enough. Washington may not be a Top 25 team in the eyes of the committee, but they still are to us. They are 3-0 SU and ATS off back to back losses under Petersen, two of the wins coming against Oregon State. Play on WASHINGTON AAA |
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11-07-19 | UL-Lafayette v. Coastal Carolina UNDER 59 | Top | 48-7 | Win | 100 | 26 h 30 m | Show |
This is a 10* on the UNDER These schools have met just one time. It was last year and Coastal Carolina won 30-28 as a three-point underdog. That was on the road. This year, the Chanticleers get to host the Ragin Cajuns, but are actually much bigger underdogs. Louisiana has been one of the best ATS teams in the country this year. They are 7-1 ATS. The only game they didn't cover was against Appalachian State, a 17-7 loss. The only other team to beat them was Mississippi State back in the first game of the season. While this won't be the highest total for either team, ULL has gone Under in three straight games. They also haven't allowed more than 25 points in any game since that loss to Mississippi State. Coastal Carolina has been quite the opposite with five of their last six games going Over the total. Their defense hasn't been great. Home games, on average, have tended to be lower scoring though. Look for Louisiana to run the ball a lot in this game. They'll be effective at doing so, but it will also keep the clock moving. Play UNDER Louisiana-Coastal Carolina AAA |
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11-06-19 | Miami-OH +7 v. Ohio | Top | 24-21 | Win | 100 | 29 h 19 m | Show |
This is a 10* on MIAMI Miami and Ohio meet Wednesday in the 96th "Battle of the Bricks." Ohio has won this rivalry game 11 of the past 14 years under coach Frank Solich, including six straight times at home. But last year it was Miami pulling a 30-28 upset as four-point home underdogs. Both teams are 3-1 in conference play. In each case, the teams won their respective MAC openers, lost the next game, then have followed with two wins in a row. Neither played this past Saturday, obviously.Miami has gone 19-7 straight up its last 26 MAC games as coach Chuck Martin is doing a good job here. The last two wins have both been upsets as the Redhawks beat Northern Illinois 27-24 at home than Kent State 23-16 on the road. They've actually been favored only one time all season! Ohio was an underdog its last time out (+2), a 34-21 win at Ball State. Unlike past years, the Bobcats have not been invincible at home here in 2019. They've already lost twice, once to Louisiana and then to the Northern Illinois team that Miami recently defeated. We expect this to be a close game that could go either way. Ohio's defense has been more than just a little "leaky" at home as they've given up 45, 39 and 38 points the last three times playing here. Is it any wonder that the Bobcats are 0-5 ATS as favorites this season? Play on MIAMI AAA |